Putting The Past Behind You
by ATaiyoukai'sTenshi
Summary: Sesshoumaru meets a woman who he feels a connection with but it sort of goes slow on both parts. Can they get together through pride and pain? Reviews are welcome! Please! SessxOC pairing, InuxKag, MirxSan pairing
1. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3

Putting The Past Behind You

By: ATaiyoukai'sTenshi

Started 4/20/07

Author's Note: This is a fanfic so please, be nice. Please? (Hold's hands together with pleading look). This isn't my first fanfic but I still get nervous about them. Hope you like!! Sess/OC, Inu/Kag, San/Mir pairing throughout this story. Rated M for later situations and some cursing.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of the characters except for the main female lead character. If I owned InuYasha, I'd be writing for money and I would be as rich as Takahashi-san. Arigato gozaimasu!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Inuyasha and Kagome make things right between them and are happy, but…Sesshoumaru isn't exactly content. A woman appears from out of nowhere and he feels a connection to her, but it isn't exactly mutual. Can he break through to her? Stay tuned!

**Chapter One**

"Inuyasha…." A pair of soft white pointy dog ears twitched in fearful anticipation of what the dreadful word would escape out of the woman's mouth.

"SIT BOY!!" A slamming sound sliced through the air in feudal Japan as Inuyasha was pulled into the soft soil face first. The monk Miroku, the demon slayer Sango, and the fox demon Shippo all hung their heads and let out a sigh.

"Inuyasha, will you ever learn?" Shippo said. Kagome huffed and turned on her heel, walking away angrily, muttering to herself about the rudeness of the young hanyou.

Sango's eyes followed her dearest friend and she sighed. "I guess I'd better go and do some damage control," commented Sango as she ran off to catch up with the girl she regarded as her little sister.

Inuyasha groaned and sat up, trying to wipe his face clean from the dirt and spitting continuously, trying to get the soil out of his mouth. Unfortunately, he only made mud with his increasing saliva and ran to a nearby river to rinse out his mouth. Miroku and Shippo followed him. "What the hell is wrong with her?" he asked after spitting out more mud. "What did I do that was so wrong?" He cupped his hands in the water, sloshing it around to turn his head aside to spit it out once again.

Miroku chuckled knowingly. "Inuyasha, there is something you must know. You never tell a woman she has gained weight. It's considered rude in Kagome's time period. "

The young hanyou scoffed and stood, picking up the Tessaiga that fell from his obi, returning it to its place. "Keh, well, it's not like she gained fifty pounds or something."

"Well, I think next time you ought to choose your words more carefully, you baka," spoke Shippo, with his arms folded across his chest. He was answered with a large lump to his head. "Ittai!" he cried, holding his head, wishing Kagome were present so she could 'sit' him again.

Inuyasha's eyes slightly widened in thought as he looked at Miroku. "Last night we stayed at her mother's house right? She gave me so much grief over going to visit with her family and anyways, I woke up at 2:30 in morning to find Kagome gone from our bed. She was downstairs in the kitchen and she was sitting in front of the refrigerator eating all of the food. She even swiped at her fat cat when he tried to get some food from her."

Miroku's eyes widened at the news. "That is quite interesting," he replied, his words sounding thoughtful. "Kagome does not usually have an appetite that large."

Inuyasha shrugged. "All I know is Kagome is acting very weird and I don't know what to do about it." Miroku shrugged as well.

Jaken paced the ground mercilessly, constantly muttering things to himself. Rin looked lazily over at him. "Calm down, Master Jaken. Lord Sesshoumaru will return soon."

Jaken turned and sneered at her. "Of course he will, silly girl," he spat out with a hint of disgust. "My lord always returns without fail," he spat again as he continued in his pacing. An adolescent Rin turned her face back towards the sky, shaking her head at his antics. 'Be careful, otou-san,' she thought as she watched the fluffy white clouds pass her. She had grown to love the Ice Lord as her father, seeing how she was an orphan after her parents were killed. When Sesshoumaru rescued her, she felt nothing but loyalty to him, which explained her constant worry and following him around.

The last thing Rin wanted to feel was to lose Sesshoumaru as well. Though the Great Demon Lord of the West had a continuous vitality, she was aware that he was not an immortal. A few moments later the rustling of leaves and twigs tore the young girl from her thoughts as she swiveled her head to look at a tall figure becoming larger through the forest mist.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" cried an ecstatic Jaken as he ran toward his master and tripped over a protruding tree root. Sesshoumaru walked past him with a snort and sat down next to a tree near Rin.

Rin carefully looked her "father" over and her smile grew wide. "My lord, your left arm has returned!"

Jaken looked up from his spot in the dirt and his eyes drifted toward the location of his lord.

"Rin is correct, milord. You have a left arm once again," he said, bowing in fearful admiration.

"I am aware of that, Jaken," he said with a sharp edge hitting that last word, causing his retainer to yelp and fall to the ground in fear, smacking his head against the ground continuously in his bowing.

"Aye, milord! Please forgive this lowly Jaken!!" The measly tengu yelped, sounding muffled from his place in the dirt. Sesshoumaru sighed and leaned his head back, trying the hardest to ignore his annoying retainer. 'Why did I ever allow him to follow me around in the first place?'

Rin stood up from her place leaning on the trunk of Ah-Un's scaled body and walked over to him. "How did this happen, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin questioned, though already knowing that he would not answer her.

He remained silent and continued to look toward the sky. To be honest, he didn't even know how he recovered the missing limb and that was irking him to no end. The Lord of the Western Lands should not be confused. All he remembered was that he awoke lying by the trunk of a tree and there it was, reattached to his person. Yet, it felt a little numb but he paid it no attention.

It had been five years since the threat of the evil hanyou Naraku was vanquished. For the sake of the universe and Sesshoumaru's lands, he and his younger half-brother discarded their grudge against each other in a truce momentarily and joined together to see to the evil demon's demise. The powerful hanyou and Taiyoukai succeeded in their plan, of course with the help of a monk, two mikos, demon-slayer and her neko.

Kagome was able to make a wish on the Shikon-no-Tama that resulted in positive resolutions for everyone. Inuyasha was still a hanyou but he was finally able to control when he could become human and for how long, usually resulting in never, Miroku was free of the curse of the wind tunnel, and Shippo had a mother in Kagome. Sango chose not to resurrect her brother Kohaku, explaining that his past sins would have been for too much for her to look past. "He had taken too many innocent lives," she reasoned. Her brother had somehow made a pardon of his actions under Naraku's control by saving his older sister from one of Naraku's tentacles that were heading for her. With his last ounce of strength, he picked up his sickle and slashed himself, letting the shard that kept him alive fall into her hands. He died with a smile on his face in Sango's arms, but his sister's tears were of joy, seeing how her brother was free from the hanyou's control. Sango's own soul had been free of bearing the brunt of the weight of Kohaku's actions which to everyone seemed better than bringing him back to the living world.

The once bright clear pink color the Jewel took on faded into nothing but a clear color and Kagome felt the aura of the crystal disappear completely. The young miko then somehow attached the ball to one of her sacred arrows and shot toward the center of the earth, causing the heat from the core to break and melt the shards of the Jewel into nonexistence, making sure the Jewel would not be the cause of the violent uproars of demons yet again.

Soon after, everyone had received happy endings……well, everyone except for Sesshoumaru. Surprisingly not long after, the ice Sesshoumaru held against his brother slowly began to melt, especially since his brother had chosen the miko for a mate. _He finally chose the living over the dead,_ he thought. _I grew weary of the young miko's constant tears over my half-brother's actions from sneaking to see that dead clay onna. The gut-wrenching stench became absolutely unbearable. How anyone could stand the scent of dead bones and graveyard soil is beyond my knowledge. Inuyasha couldn't see past his nose, blinded by the past. _Everyone was shocked at the conclusion of the battle as Kikyo stepped in-between Inuyasha and Kagome.

Flashback 

Shippo was left behind at Kaede's village in order to protect him from the battle. Tears streamed from his jade eyes as he buried his face into Kagome's shoulder. "Promise me you will come back." He looked into her brown eyes with a watery demeanor.

Kagome smiled and ruffled the young kitsune's red hair. "I promise, Shippo." She hugged him tighter, especially seeing how she practically adopted him as her own.

"Ye'll be fine, Kagome," Kaede said as she gently took Shippo from Kagome. The old miko looked at Inuyasha. "You take care of Kagome, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh! Whatever, old woman. I always do."

Kaede shook her head at the arrogance that practically radiated from the young half-demon. "May the gods be with ye, children."

Kagome and Inuyasha headed out of the hut. Sango and Miroku appeared on Kirara's back. With a nod, Kagome got onto Inuyasha's back and the four headed towards the saimiyosho that flew ahead of them. Finally, Naraku's scent had led the two separate groups to the same battlefield. Inuyasha sniffed the air, responding in a low growl. "That bastard's scent is all over this place." He readied Tetsusaiga for battle. "He's here alright."

Kagome's eyes widened. The despicable monster had led them on a two-year chase all over Japan, leaving those wretched golems and confrontations from Kagura and Kanna. 'Figures now he's going to finally show his face, after I've practically completed my half of the Jewel.'

Koga had already given her the shards in his legs, still claiming that he did this because he loved Kagome. He took her hands in his and professed his love in front of Ginta and Hakkaku with Kagome laughing nervously. The other two wolf demons heaved a sigh.

"Here we go again," they said at the same time.

The age-old episode occurred: Inuyasha got jealous, the two began to fight, and Kagome "sitting" Inuyasha. Koga made the decision not to fight because he felt slightly incapacitated due to a loss of the shards, but he also claimed he was making a home in the mountains for when Kagome would return to him…or so he thought. But, back to more important matters.

Needless to say, the atmosphere changed when Sesshoumaru arrived onsite, materializing close to the front of them from his usual orb of blue light. The two brothers said nothing to one another as they waited patiently….well, one waited patiently anyway.

Sango and Miroku stood around, looking slightly nervous but Sango's aura held determination in it as her eyes stared straight ahead into the forest.

"Care to explain what you are thinking, Lady Sango?" Miroku asked.

She turned to look at him with a sigh. "I can't wait to get my revenge on Naraku for what he did to me and my family," she said, clutching the tie of her Hiraikotsu even tighter so that her knuckles turned white, "but I also can't help but feel a little anxious."

"Do not worry, my dear," the monk said with a smile on his face. "Naraku will meet his end today…and I will be with you the whole time."

Sango let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "That's sort of comforting, Miroku," she said quietly. Her shoulders slumped a little and her grip loosened but it tightened back up again when she felt a certain hand caressing her backside.

A growl erupted from her throat and a loud smack was heard through the air. Everyone turned around to see a fuming Sango and a sizzling red handprint on the happy face of Miroku.

Kagome and Inuyasha sighed. "I think he likes being slapped around," Kagome said softly.

"If I am to die, I will do so in a happy state," Miroku said, eyes closed in satisfaction and happiness as he leaned on his staff with a sigh.

Soon after, another person made their way onto the battlefield. At the scent of this individual, Inuyasha's eyes widened. Almost as if he'd been slapped in the face, his head swiveled slowly to see someone that he'd give his life for.

Kikyo had made her appearance in her usual miko garb and stare.

His heartbeat had intensified, the blood coursing through his veins much faster than usual, assaulting him internally. Had the rate increased any further, his capillaries would have burst and he would have perished from internal bleeding.

"K-Ki-Kikyo…" Inuyasha stammered out. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome had turned her head away from the sight of the two. Sango and Miroku looked at one another, a look that clearly said this could mean trouble if they all lived through this fight. Even though Inuyasha had become a little better in expressing his feelings for her, she had a feeling she didn't have his heart completely. Meanwhile, her heart felt as if is was being destroyed slowly, as if someone carved it from her flesh while she was still alive and she watched them cut into it with a knife. Her face began to rise in temperature and she knew her emotions would display in a moment. Yet, she refused to cry, blinking back the tears that threatened to make themselves known.

Kikyo turned her head towards her former half-demon lover, her expression as blank as ever. "I have other reasons for my hatred against Naraku besides what happened between us." She closed her eyes and sighed. "This has to end now. It has been occurring far too long."

Another scent hit the air soon after that. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both growled simultaneously. The disgusting baboon pelt appeared out of thin air not far from the group. An evil baritone laugh filled the air as the white garment was thrown from the owner, revealing the person underneath was the true Naraku, and not the golems he previously sent to send them on goose chases. The vile hanyou stood in his place, crimson eyes narrowed in a piercing stare and lips curled into an ungodly smirk. Wearing his traditional blue and purple jacket, he scanned each of the opposers before him.

"Hello everyone. Surprised to see me?" Everyone's eyes narrowed, each one wanting to repay the demon for the deeds he had done against them all, mainly crimes of deception. Everyone readied themselves for battle.

"Naraku, we've got you beat, you bastard. There are too many of us and one of you," Inuyasha said, Tetsusaiga gleaming in the sunlight. "You're outnumbered. Why don't you just give up now?"

"Hn," he said, smirk never leaving his face. "Inuyasha, overconfident as usual."

His eyes fell on Kagome. "My, my, my, what a beautiful priestess you have become. No longer a young girl, but a mature—" His eyes lustfully looked up and down her body, which had developed a little further since her time in the feudal era, filling her out her curves much more in every sense of the word—"woman," he finished. Kagome almost vomited at his stare, understanding his intentions. He licked his lips, almost in anticipation of what could possibly happen. "Once I am finished with Inuyasha, you, young miko, would be a perfect choice for a mate."

Inuyasha growled more strongly and stood in front of Kagome, brandishing his father's fang, threatening to hack him in pieces if he even tried to touch her.

"Never would I let you touch me, you filth!" Kagome growled out, readying her bow and arrow, her pinkish aura surrounding her. It crackled under her energy at the thought of being violated against her will by her hanyou enemy. Her eyes widened as she saw through Naraku's clothing and located the other half of the Shikon Jewel hanging on a chain around his neck. It had truly been tainted by Naraku, the color an unholy purple-black.

With a shrug and without another word, he threw himself into the group, a sword appearing from this right hand, moving to slash through each one. The tentacles along his body seemed to have doubled in amount and size. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha dodged the attacks, jumping in the air.

"Too slow," Sesshoumaru stated, lunging back toward his longtime enemy, right hand glowing green with his Poison Claw.

"Did you think I was going to let you get to me that easily?" Naraku said with a menacing smirk. From the largest mountain behind them, the ground beneath them shook and the apex opened to release hundreds upon hundreds of disgusting-looking youkai. Everyone's eyes narrowed as he laughed and backed away from them. With a growl, Inuyasha released a Backlash Wave and struck down many of the demons and that left Kagome and Kikyo to extinguish the rest of them with their purifying arrows.

Inuyasha swung his head around to look at Kagome. "Kagome, can you find Naraku?"

Kagome nodded and stretched out her senses. Her eyes narrowed and she notched an arrow into her bow, releasing it into the hanyou's direction. At the last second, he reappeared into view, holding his right arm where the arrow grazed his skin. A nasty burn was left onto him from the purifying energy.

"Damn you, you wench!" He growled out, lunging toward the woman. His tentacle met the fang as Inuyasha stopped his assault.

"Don't even think about hurting Kagome, bastard!" Inuyasha growled back. The fight raged on for hours, each one slowly but surely fading, including Naraku.

Sesshoumaru had released his Souryuuha into his Poison Whip while Inuyasha released his Kaze no Kizu towards Naraku, catching him off-guard. When the dust around everyone had settled, Naraku frantically tried to piece himself back together, calling the dismembered limbs back toward his also dismembered torso and yet, he had succeeded somewhat..

"Hn," Sesshoumaru stated in his own way. "Fool, your time has come. This is finished now!" He held Tenseiga lengthways and yet again a large blue, sinewy dragon in a flash of blue light escaped from the fang, stopping a good amount of flesh from reattaching to Naraku along the way. The hanyou's red eyes widened as the attack went straight for him. Due to the amount of energy used to incapacitate him, the rest of the limbs slowly tried to make their way back toward their vile owner, failing miserably as Sango threw her Hiraikotsu toward the flesh in the air, and Miroku using his staff and sacred sutras to squish out some of the remaining ones on the ground.

Unfortunately for Sango, she didn't see the weak but quick barrier that stopped the bone boomerang. A flash of blue light disappeared as quickly as it appeared and the boomerang came hurtling towards its beautiful owner. The Hiraikotsu hit Sango right in her abdomen and much harder than usual, her body buckling under the impact and pushing her backwards and connecting with a tree. Miroku adverted his eyes to see his love slump to the ground unconscious, resulting in only to have a tentacle thrust into his back but thankfully not slaying either one of them. Yet Naraku moved in for the kill, aiming two spearheaded tentacles toward the two of them.

"Oh no you don't!" cried both Kagome and Kikyo. Realizing they spoke as one, the two turned to each other with a nod, seeming to be thinking the same train of thought. Their bodies pulsed with their holy auras crackling around them in bright and furious pinkish-purple colors radiating from them, as they seemed to merge into the one soul they shared between themselves. Two flashes of pink light emerged from the arrows they shot, both mikos aiming at the detestable hanyou.

Naraku screamed in pain as the arrows entered the rest of what was left of his body and he began to disintegrate even further from the purifying energy. He tried to put up another barrier for it to absorb the rest of the attacks but the effort was in vain as the arrows began to delve deeper into what was left of his battered flesh, sucking his energy into next to nothing.

Kagura watched the ensuing onslaught from a very safe distance behind a tree as a smirk appeared on her face. 'So you are finally going to meet your end, Naraku. Hmm, too bad you weren't going to die at my hand. If only you didn't hold my heart in yours.' She blinked her red eyes and her evil smile became even wider. 'None of that is of any concern to me much longer. My freedom from his grasp is near.'

"Naraku, you bastard, you're goin' down!" cried the young hanyou as a white swirl appeared around Tetsusaiga with a matching white and yellow electricity that crackled around the fang as he released the attack. "BAAAKKRRYYUUUUUHAAAAAA!!!" The energy swelled to a size that none the group had ever seen before. A white and yellow tornado flew from the sword as he swung it in the air that screeched a howl from the middle. The howl sounded as a dog roaring in triumph. It seemed that he had truly unlocked the power of the sword.

The attack hit its intended target. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained except for the giant-sized crater where Naraku once stood. Inuyasha fell to his knee on the ground, panting from exhaustion as his hands grasped the hilt of the fang that invaded the earth. Inuyasha sniffed the air as a smirk of his own appeared on his face. Everything was now gone, not a trace of the hanyou remained. "It's over," he said, realizing his own words. "It's finally over."

Sesshoumaru watched the rest of the action as he inwardly sighed of relief, satisfied that Naraku ceased to cause any more damage to his lands. But as usual, his face remained stoic and his eyes cold. He turned on his heel before his half-brother called to him.

"Thanks for your help, Sesshoumaru," he mumbled under his breath. Sesshoumaru's response was a grunt and he continued his walk into the forest, heading back to his lands. The group stared at his retreating form as it became smaller and smaller till it was seen no more

The blackish-pink half ball of crystal known as the Shikon-no-Tama had disappeared from Kagome's sight also in the blast. Suddenly feeling nothing around her neck, she found that her half was also gone. A moment later it reappeared in Kagome's hands, whole once more and the original clear-pink color.

The young hanyou pulled Tetsusaiga out of the ground and placed it back into its sheath. He looked up and saw that Miroku had Sango cradled in his arms, relieved that she was starting to awaken. An itch was felt in his right hand as he pulled the beads and purple fabric off of his skin. Miroku's eyes widened in amazement as the dreaded hole in his hand closed before his gaze. He gave a small smile at the two of them until his eyes met the young miko. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and turned away. "Well," Kagome began, still not looking at Inuyasha, "now that this is finished, I can return home to my own time." Miroku and Sango's eyes both widened instantly and they looked at each other in horror. That was the first time Kagome had ever spoken of returning home permanently. Secretly, she was hoping that the pup would beg her to stay, but somewhere in her heart she knew that his immature pride wouldn't allow it.

Inuyasha's eyes widened also but he then scoffed and turned his back on her. "If you want to go, then go. You aren't needed around here anymore anyway."

Her eyes widened momentarily and then they narrowed in anger. "So all I meant to you was a shard hunter!" Inuyasha said nothing. Kagome scoffed as well, her thoughts affirmed. "Fine. Then I guess I will," she said turning quickly on her brown leathered heel to leave the battleground, heading toward the Bone Eater's Well. 'Inuyasha, you baka. Good riddance to you.' A lone tear slipped down her cheek. Now that she heard that, she was prepared to leave the Feudal Era of Japan for good and erase all thoughts of this arrogant hanyou from her memories. "Good riddance, Inuyasha!" She began to walk away.

"Stop this." A soft voice pierced through the slight argument the two were having. Both heads swiveled toward Kikyo as she slumped against a tree from leaning on her longbow, everyone hearing her labored breathing. She looked at the both of them with her brown eyes. Her soul collectors appeared, swirling around above her and dropping bluish-white balls of light into her chest, trying to help her regain her energy. Soon after, she stood up on her own accord and approached the two of them, strapping her bow and quiver of arrows to her back.

"I'm tired of the constant disagreements between the two of you." She turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, don't let me stand in the way of your feelings for each other any longer. You need to let me go. It's time, and a time that has been long overdue."

"Kikyo…" Inuyasha began as his head dropped. Deep down, he knew she was right.

She closed her eyes and chuckled softly. "Inuyasha, I'm dead. What good am I to you? Every time you hurt Kagome by running off to see me, I feel the sting of pain in her heart. Why do you think I act so indifferent towards you and I send you back to her?"

'Wow,' Kagome thought. 'I never knew Kikyo could feel my emotions. Is our connection really that strong? I could never feel her emotions…then is this only one-sided?'

Kikyo continued to speak to Inuyasha. "You love Kagome and Kagome loves you. We are connected you know, but her part of our soul loves you. The two of you need to stop fighting so much and realize how much you mean to each other." She put her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I'm stepping out of this. Be happy together."

Without any further words, Kikyo and her soul collectors stepped toward the forest and continued to walk until they disappeared from view, leaving the group to stare dumbfounded.

End Flashback

Miroku and Sango seemed to be working towards getting married themselves…but you know the hentai monk. The wind tunnel may have been removed from him, but that hand was still lecherous.

He continued to lose himself in his thoughts as the clouds slowly drifted by in the blue atmosphere. He thought his left arm returning was the young miko's doing from the wish on the Jewel, but he wasn't quite sure. His younger half-brother was now married and happy with his mate, but as for the Great Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, he was still single. He hated the sniveling, single demon whores that came towards him only interested for either his body or for his title, and who could blame them for wanting either and or both.

Most of them wanted to be his Lady simply for the fame and notoriety, not for him. They came at him flashing every inch of their skin possible, some avoiding the whorish line and some stepping dangerously close enough. Truthfully, he didn't mind looking at what they had to offer. If he did mind, then word would have definitely traveled throughout the lands stating the orientation of their fearless Lord. Then again, even if he was in that direction, no one would ever dare to confront him on the matter to risk losing their lives. His mate was to be sort of a spitfire but subdued, beautiful inside and out, loyal, and submissive.

Pushing those thoughts from the forefront to the background of his mind, he cursed himself for thinking such weak thoughts, slightly surprised he even considered the idea of love.

Suddenly, his keen sense of smell picked up a scent. 'Blood,' was all he thought and in a flash he was gone in search of the source of the scent. His ears twitched and his sensitive sense of hearing alerted him to the sound of a sword being pulled away from a body. He arrived at the spot and saw the warrior who attacked the woman lying on the ground motionless, practically covered in her own blood. His honeyed irises noticed the man had about four scratches on his face, his blood also flowing yet the older liquid caked onto his skin, evident that the woman tried to defend herself, but those marks were next to nothing compared to what this woman endured. The man moved closer to the seemingly lifeless woman, moving in for the deathly blow.

"Enough," his monotone voiced stated towards the attacker.

"Who are you to tell me to quit…" The man looked over in horror at the owner of the voice. "Lord Sesshou—" was all the man had time to say before a green thread of light slid his head quickly and cleanly from his shoulders. The headless body dropped with a thud to the forest floor. Sesshoumaru didn't as so much to bat an eye as the crimson life force spurted and gurgled through the exposed neck, staining the ground a muddy color. He walked over to the woman's body and knelt down beside her, not caring that some of the blood stained his white hakamma. Tenseiga didn't rattle at his side as it normally does when Sesshoumaru saw a dead body. He took the sword from his obi and held it over the body. It didn't pulse. He couldn't even see the underworld creatures trying to take her soul. Listening more intensely, he heard a slow heartbeat and the shallow, ragged breaths coming from her chest.

'So, she is alive, hn? Just barely. Well, at least she is breathing,' he thought. 'By the way her wounds and injuries appear, she is in dire need of medical attention.'

Reaching a clawed hand he gently turned the woman over. Shocked at what he saw, he allowed a slight eyebrow raise. The woman was a demoness with long, waist-length bluish-black hair and long bangs that split in the front and curled slightly at the ends, stopping just above her eyelids. Her eyes held a blue eye shadow, full red lips, and long eyelashes. She had very dark purple stripes on her cheeks, but one on each side. The black and red sakura-patterned kimono she wore was ripped and stained and carried the odor of two different blood types, one being her own and the blood from her attacker, but more so being her blood. Something in the inu lord stirred as he studied the woman and he felt his pulse race. 'Why does this woman strike me so?' he wondered. His youkai growled inside of him and deciding with his beast to give her care, he picked up the woman bridal-style in his arms and walked away from the bloody scene.

Soon after, he returned to his adopted daughter and retainer. "Jaken."

"Y-yes, milord," he stammered as he bowed respectfully, once again in the presence of his master. Sesshoumaru remained silent as he summoned his demonic cloud and took to the sky with the woman in his arms.

"Come on, Master Jaken," Rin exclaimed happily in the air as she was on the two-headed dragon Ah-Un behind Sesshoumaru. "You're gonna get left behind!"

"Wait for me Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken cried frantically, fearful that his Lord would leave him. Trying to catch up in the same direction, he continued to fall on the forest floor, not watching where his feet were landing, catching on stray tree roots and rocks.

Sesshoumaru's castle was in the farthest side of the Western lands of course, surrounded by the most beautiful landscape one could ever imagine, carved out of the side of a mountain. The amount of land that the area housed had to be no less than sixty acres. A stone wall matching the color of the dark gray castle exterior walls guarded the estate, as well as a couple of guards on the outside, to which bowed to their lord as he passed by them without a second look.

The landscape contained grass so green that was well taken care of. Ivy and holly snaked up the castle walls, giving off a very earthy appearance. Sakura blossom trees, jasmine trees, oak trees and maple trees surrounded the inside of the land as a few of the blossoms graced the grass floor. There was a waterfall and pond in the back of the castle grounds, flowers blooming up from the grass around the pond.

The castle staff was in huge number, seeing the amount of land needing to be cared for. Sesshoumaru treated them all well enough but they knew not to cross him or to suffer the consequences, usually meaning paying with their lives. "Tsuki," he called as he entered the castle with the still-unconscious woman in his arms.

The young mouse demoness quickly appeared in front of him with a respectful bow. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she inquired.

Sesshoumaru gestured to the woman in his right arm. "I found this woman in the forest, badly injured and beaten. She is entrusted to your care. Clean and dress her wounds and give her decent attire and place her into the guest room next to Rin. Do not disappoint this Sesshoumaru in your abilities Tsuki."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she answered with another bow and did as she was told.

Sesshoumaru retreated to his study at the opposite wing from his bedchamber. As he shut the door behind him, he sat down behind a large mahogany wood desk in a matching chair, decorated in a red and white silk back and cushion. He tried to concentrate on the growing pile of paperwork that sat on the top of the desk, but he failed at the task. He found himself unable to rid his mind of mental images of the unknown woman's face.

Kagome busied herself in preparation for dinner, Sango assisting her. "Are you feeling alright, Kagome?" she wondered.

Kagome looked up from the vegetables she was cooking over the hearth. "I'm fine," she said with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders. "You just seem like something has been bothering you lately. A few times you sort of snapped at me earlier for not having a bunch of carrots with me."

Her younger sister shrugged. "Nope, I'm perfectly fine," she said, flashing her older sister a big smile as she waited for her mate and his friend to return. Sango threw a skeptical look in her direction but Kagome didn't notice. 'Something is definitely different about her but I just can't put my finger on it. She cries for no reason and she had been eating like crazy.'

"Kagome! Sango! We're back," Inuyasha called, he and Miroku entering the hut with two buckets full of fish. Kagome took one look at it as her face turned a sickly shade of green and she ran out of the hut. Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango all had question marks floating around their heads.

"I don't get it," Inuyasha said. "Kagome usually likes fish. If some were bad, I would've known. What's with her?"

Miroku closed his eyes. "It's probably nothing more than a stomach virus or something, Inuyasha."

Sango joined in the conversation. "I wouldn't be so sure of that Miroku. Before the two of you came back, her whole mood had changed three times."

Sango took the rest of the fish and placed them over the fire as Inuyasha shrugged.

Sesshomaru was able to accomplish a few tasks in his study but not as much as his daily quota. Putting his pen down and setting the stacks of paper aside he sighed and stood from his chair. He left his study, heading toward his quarters until Rin practically knocked him down. He was going to admonish her but decided against it once he looked down into her deep brown eyes staring back at his amber ones. 'This child is softening me," he thought.

"Otou—Uh, Lord Sesshomaru, the woman you found earlier is in the guest room two doors away from your quarters," she said. 'I almost called him "outo-san" ', she thought.

"Domo arigato, Rin," he said, giving her a pat to her head.

She turned to leave him before he called to her again. "Rin…you may call me 'otou-san' if you wish to do so, but only when we are alone." He couldn't lose face, after all by having this ningen child call him father, yet something inside of him didn't really care what anyone else thought.

She squealed in delight and squeezed him around the waist, and ran off in the direction of her room. Rin flopped down on her full-sized bed as she stared out of the window in front of her. After being with Sesshomaru for the amount of years, she found she could read him like a book. She would never say this out loud, but she knew that somewhere in his icy heart, he really wanted a mate.

"Oh, otou-san," she said aloud. Hopefully, her father figure would have a mate soon. After all, she wanted someone else to have around the castle, a brother or sister as it were…not to mention she really wanted a mother seeing how she didn't even really remember her own.

He proceeded toward his own quarters, laying down on his spacious bed before dinner was to be served. Looking over to his sleeve he rubbed his new left arm. The nerves were just starting to reawaken and he felt the blood surge through his veins. Looking at it with a critical eye, the claws grew to their previous length and the stripes on the skin reappeared. He made a fist then uncurled it. Calling forth his energy whip, he almost smirked in delight that his hand glowed the infamous green, seeing the whip snap against the floor. Stopping it, he also called forth his poison and claimed satisfaction when the other green color made its appearance, but he stopped that also before he burned a hole through his bed and the floors below. Everything worked! For so long, he had grown used to doing everything one-handed, but secretly he was grateful for having two arms once again. Sesshoumaru lifted the sleeve of his haori. Even with his demonic vision, he couldn't even see where the arm was reattached. Earlier, he thought he smelled the scent of Inuyasha's mate near him, but he couldn't exactly tell if it was her or not.

A knock sounded at the door. "What is it?" he called. The door opened to find a servant standing there. "Lord Sesshoumaru, dinner is being served."

"Hn," he replied in his monotone. He arose from his bed with his long silvery-white hair flowing behind him gracefully. Walking down the hallway, his keen hearing picked up a distress in the guest room where the woman was placed. He silently opened the door to see her thrashing about on the bed, clearly in distress. Her bandages were stained with her sweat as they stuck to her beautiful face. The aroma of the room stank with salt from her sweat and…tears? 'Why would she be crying,' he wondered. She clawed at the air, and to the Taiyoukai it seemed she was reaching for something, almost as if she was reaching for him, aware that he was in the room.

Anguish was clearly written on her face as she thrashed about, tossing the silky midnight blue comforter to the floor. He could also see the new black and silver kimono she wore clinging to her form due to the amount of perspiration she exerted. Before he could even register the process in his mind he was at her side in a flash, dropping a cool cloth to her forehead. She whimpered in her sleep as a tear slid down her ivory cheek, the word "father" escaping her lips. Sesshoumaru allowed a perfectly shaped eyebrow to rise. He went to wipe it away from her skin and the immediate contact caused a wave to pass through his body that allowed him to see what she was dreaming.

Dream

A young demoness is running through the forest, ducking and dodging around trees and under low branches, a man also running behind her. Yells and screams are heard from behind her as people fall to their deaths, clearly the pounding footsteps of an army approaching quickly.

The man behind her falls to the ground with an anguished groan. She turns around to see an arrow protruding from his left shoulder blade, and two other arrows protruding in the front from his back with him bleeding from his mouth and the same blood staining his armor from the inside out. "Father!" she screams, tears spilling down her cheeks, falling to the ground on her knees in front of him.

He raised himself from the ground with what little strength he had left, spitting the blood out. "Daughter, you must live! Leave while you have the chance! I love you…" he said, falling back down to the ground, breathing his last.

'Aishiteru, outo-san.' With more tears falling down her face, the enemy sounded closer as she picked herself up from her father's lifeless body and ran further into the forest, never to be seen again.

End Dream

His finger left her cheek and the vision disappeared from sight. The woman's body ceased to thrash about and the tears stopped. Sesshoumaru left the room as soon as the woman calmed down and returned to a restful sleep. 'What was the meaning behind that violent display?' he inquired to himself. "What is she dreaming about?"

"Makoto," he said.

The demon appeared before him with a low bow. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Send for the miko Kagome, my half-brother's mate," he said as he proceeded down the stairs to the dining area. The demon bowed again and rushed off to do as he was told.

When the doors opened to the dining hall, he found Rin already seated at her usual place, to the right of him. A steaming plate of rice sat in front of her but he noticed she had not touched her food. A low growl was heard in the room, but it did not come from Sesshoumaru's throat. Rin's cheeks turned a shade of red with a small grin on her face. With the slightest of smiles, he nodded to her giving permission to proceed. She dug into her plate with happiness, but at an acceptable speed.

He blinked and found himself sitting at his desk, the phone ringing and his computer screen assaulted with the arrival of new mail.

"Oh Sesshoumaru, you baka," he said aloud to himself. Searching through the pile of papers on his desk he found the file he was looking for and began applying his signature in the necessary places. He had never gone to sleep at his desk before and he was surprised he had done so. 'Where did that come from? Why was I dreaming about the feudal era?' Today was going to be a long day.

He shook his head and turned back toward the computer screen.

**_Reviews are welcome!!_**

**Chapter Two**

"Sesshoumaru," his intercom beeped through the phone.

"Yes," he said pushing the button and the word coming out more harshly than he meant to. Mainly he was annoyed that he had fallen asleep at his desk again, something he has never done before besides the previous day. He picked up his coffee cup from his desk and took a drink.

"I have the file you were asking for a minute ago and your 10:30 appointment is waiting for you," Sango's voice came through the wires.

He swallowed what was in his mouth. "Send them in at once." He groaned inwardly. 'Oh, iie, I forgot!' He ran a hand through his long black hair. 'What is wrong with me today?'

A soft knock sounded at the door a few moments later. "Enter," he called. The door opened and the person stepped inside.

"Please close the door behind you," Sesshoumaru said, not looking up from the paper he was writing on. Finally he stood and lifted his eyes after he heard the door close and his eyes came into contact with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on in his lifetime. She had long, full and thick black hair with curled bangs that were split in the middle, long legs that seemed to be endless, full hips, a tiny waist, and a very nice chest. He also noticed that her eyes were the biggest hazels he had ever seen decorated by the thickest wave of black eyelashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows, a cute nose and the fullest red lips he had ever seen.

"Hello? Ohayo?" the woman said gently. Her voice floated over him sounding like music, a song that only he could hear, almost causing him to slip in a further deep trance of her beauty.

She craned her neck in an odd way. "Um, I was told to see you about the job opening, ne?"

"Hai," he replied through practically hazy eyes. He had never been under that type of spell before. Coming in contact with women was a recurring event, but this particular woman truly had all the other ones beaten. The black skirt she wore absolutely accented her seductive hips and legs, hugging her curves in the right places. The red, cream and black striped shirt opened slightly to reveal a black camisole underneath that just unknowingly peeked out a small portion of her voluptuous cleavage. A black silk belt around the shirt showed just how tiny her waist really was. The black blazer over top her shirt showed how lean her shoulders were, but it didn't make her look masculine. He could only assume that her shoes were black pumps, but oh man, it seemed as if she were teasing him and she didn't even know it.

**She's the one! **His beast growled within him. **Must make her our mate…now!**

_Have you gone insane?_ Sesshoumaru reasoned within himself. _She is only physically attractive…..for a human anyway and that is all there is to this. Now is not the time for this discussion._

**Whatever you say. We know how you truly feel…**

"Sir, daijoubu?" the woman asked with a slight eyebrow raise, trying to figure out if this man is okay.

Sesshoumaru snapped back to attention. "Sumimasen, ma'am," he replied. "May I see your resume, please?" He extended his hand and she placed the sheets in it. "You may have a seat." He looked down at the paper in his hand. "Your name is…"

"Atashi wa Atami Sadayo," she replied.

His eyes drifted across her resume. "Have you worked in a law firm before?" he asked.

"Iie, but I'm applying for the receptionist position," she said.

"I can see that," he snapped, taking a quick glance in her direction, noticing that his sharpness was causing her to wince. 'I didn't mean to say it that harshly,' he thought. He sat back down at his desk, taking his glasses off and looked at her. "Well Ms. Atami, we are a little pressed for another receptionist. Our other two receptionists do have an increased workload and another would definitely relieve some of the problem, so—"

The door flew open to another young man with short black hair and glasses on the tip of his nose, files in hand. "Sesshoumaru, do you have that file with the Nagano case in here?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his younger brother with disdain and glared. "Inuyasha, I am currently in a meeting," he snarled out.

Inuyasha held up his hands, careful to not drop the files on the floor. "Damn! Excuse me! I'm sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," he turned and looked at the woman in the chair. "Yeah, sorry, didn't meant to mess up your interview." Inuyasha did a double take. "Sadayo?" he asked with a smile.

The beautiful woman looked up at him and her eyes widened instantaneously. "Inuyasha!" she cried. She flew out of the chair into his arms as they hugged, leaving a very impatient Sesshoumaru to tap his fingers angrily on his desk. "I hate to break this up but if you two don't mind, I have an interview I would like to finish!"

The two stopped and Sadayo sat back down in the chair, biting on her bottom lip in nervousness. 'Great job, Sadayo. A nice way to make a good impression: make your possible future employer upset! I guess I won't be getting this job!'

Sesshoumaru sighed, rubbing his temple. "As I was saying, your resume is in great shape. We normally do not do this as quickly as I am about to, but you are hired. I need you to start tomorrow morning at 8:30 am. Will that be a problem for you?"

'Really? I got it? I got the job!' "No sir," she said with a big smile gracing her gorgeous face, "8:30 is just fine."

"Alright, well, we will see you tomorrow and congratulations." Sesshoumaru stuck out his hand as Sadayo stuck hers in his and they shook.

"I'll see you out," Inuyasha said happily. She turned around to walk out with Inuyasha as he held the door open for her. Sesshoumaru's eyes glanced over to see her retreating form. 'That is the nicest view I have ever—What are you doing?' As Inuyasha closed the door behind them, Sesshoumaru tried to return to work but he could not rid his mind of her face. 'Why does her face seem so familiar?' he wondered.

"So Ms. Atami," Inuyasha said. "What have you been up to since I saw you last, which I believe was college?"

She chuckled as they walked down the hall. "Well, I've been pretty good so far. I was married to a doctor but last year we divorced."

"I'm sorry," he said with sympathy in his voice and then a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, why wasn't I invited to your wedding?"

"'Cause I couldn't get in touch with you after we graduated!" she said with a smile, moving to whack him playfully on the arm.

He laughed as he tried to dodge her attack, but she landed successfully, him rubbing his arm with a playful puppy dog face as if he was truly hurt. She laughed at his antics. "No, but seriously, Sadayo, I am sorry about your divorce."

She waved it off. "Nan demo nai. He cheated on me and that was it. I really haven't had a job since I got married due to wonderful amounts of alimony and hopefully 'Taisho, Taisho & Taisho' will work out for me."

"I hope we do too," he said. As they walked, a tall man with short black hair but bangs over his eyes came around the corner, face down in a folder.

"Mr. Taisho?" Sadayo asked with a smile.

The man looked up from his papers at the voice and stopped in his stride. "Sadayo!" he said happily. She squealed and he opened his arms and enveloped the woman in a big hug. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile when he let her go.

"I just had an interview with your other son," she said with a smile of her own. "I was applying for the receptionist position here and I got it. I start tomorrow morning."

"Congratulations," he replied with another smile. "Once again though, I must apologize again that I could not have gotten you more money in your settlement."

She waved that off also. "If you had, the poor guy wouldn't have any money left to live off of. He's already paying enough alimony that I could retire forever."

"I could live with that," he said with a smile of his own. She laughed gently.

"I have an idea," InuTaisho said. "Why don't you join us for dinner tonight, and I won't take no for an answer." He said the last part in an assertive manner.

Sadayo held her hands up in defeat. "Okay, I will. What time?"

"I can pick you up," Inuyasha offered, "and I can make the reservations otou-san. Sadayo, just give me directions to your house and we can give you a lift."

InuTaisho gave Sadayo one last hug. "Well, I've got more work ahead of me, so I will see you later. Glad to have you, and not just for dinner tonight either." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and he headed down the hall toward his office.

Inuyasha turned back to Sadayo. "I didn't know my dad was your lawyer for your divorce."

Her eyes widened in amazement. "He never told you about it?"

"Nope. I knew absolutely nothing about it. Anyway follow me," he said, motioning her to follow him down the same hall InuTaisho just walked down. When he opened the door, a woman with thick wavy hair with a midnight bluish tinge was putting files on his desk.

"Kagome, honey, meet an old friend of mine from college. Kagome, Sadayo. Sadayo, Kagome."

Kagome looked up and walked around the desk and shook hands with the slightly taller woman. "Douzo yoroshiku, Sadayo," she said warmly.

"Douzo yoroshiku, Kagome," she replied just as warmly. "So you are Inuyasha's wife, I take it?"

"Hai," came the reply.

Sadayo playfully hit Inuyasha on the arm again. "So why wasn't I invited to your wedding, mister?"

"Because I couldn't get in touch with you either!" he said. "I forgot how violent you were."

"Oh, right," she said with a sheepish smile.

He shook his head with a smile and turned his attention back toward to his wife. "Anyways Kagome, Sadayo is going to be working here now. She's the new receptionist."

Kagome smiled at her, with her brown eyes gleaming. "Congratulations on getting the new position."

"Arigato gozaimasu," Sadayo responded.

Kagome released a huge sigh of relief, hand over her chest. "I have been asking my father-in-law for the longest time to ask for another person. We have so much work to do and not enough hands."

"Well, you can add two more now," Sadayo said with a grin.

Kagome snickered shook her head at the bad joke. "I know," Sadayo said with a laugh, cracking up at her own joke. "I have dry humor."

Inuyasha again shook his head at the two women. "We're going out to dinner tonight to celebrate Sadayo's new job," Inuyasha spoke up. He pushed the button on his phone to his father's. "Otou-san, what time did you want me to make the reservations for…7:30…ok, arigato." He hung up the phone. "Kagome, tomorrow you and Sango are gonna have to show Sadayo the ropes, ne?"

"Hai, we will," Kagome replied. "Do you need a ride for tonight?"

"Inuyasha offered of the same earlier, but I have my car," Sadayo answered. The three of them exchanged necessary information for the evening. Inuyasha gave Sadayo a hug goodbye and returned to work.

"I'll walk you out seeing how he has work to do."

"Thanks," Sadayo said appreciatively. Kagome and Sadayo went out into the hall just as InuTaisho went into Sesshoumaru's office.

He closed the door behind him and leaned on the chair. "Son, we are going out tonight to dinner to celebrate Sadayo's new position. Are you going to come with us?"

Sesshoumaru put down his pen and thought for a minute, leaning back in his chair. "Yes, father, I will come. I did not drive to work today and I do not care for taking a cab home."

InuTaisho chuckled and turned to leave the room. "Fine Sesshoumaru."

"Father," he called.

He turned back around. "Hai?"

"How do you know that woman?"

"Oh you heard that." InuTaisho sat down in the chair. "Do you remember the big case I had last year?" Sesshoumaru shook his head no. "That's right, I forgot. You were away on business closing that other case. Well, Sadayo was my case, going through a divorce."

"And the result was…" Sesshoumaru pressed on with a gesture of his hand.

"In the end, she walked away with everything. He violated their prenuptial agreement due to adultery. But, I guess now she really wants a job."

"What a shame," Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotone, turning his attention back to the computer screen.

InuTaisho shook his head and smiled on the way out. He knew his son better than that. Sesshoumaru's curiosity wasn't satisfied that quickly. In his own way, he was going to find out everything about Sadayo that he could.

Sadayo pulled her Mercedes into the garage and shut off the engine, the garage door coming down as soon as she entered. Entering through the kitchen she put her purse on the black granite counter and picked up the phone.

"Yamamoto Realty, Tori speaking," a chirpy voice spoke.

"Hai, Mr. Yamamoto onegai," she said as she waited. "An Atami Sadayo."

"Please hold." Sadayo leaned against the counter as she waited. Soon, his smooth and happy voice came through the receiver. "Sadayo, how are you?"

"Just fine Takeda, thank you."

"Good, good," he said with a smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this for awhile and I would like you to sell my house," she said in one breath. "It's too big for me now."

Her realtor paused for a moment in thought and then spoke. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. The house is in your name, correct?"

"Yes," she replied. "Did you not notice you said my maiden name?" The man laughed through the wires and Sadayo smirked herself. He could be a little forgetful at random times.

"Ok, well I know the house is in great shape…What day can I come out there to take a look at it?" He asked while flipping through his calendar.

Sadayo took her palm pilot out of her purse. "Saturday afternoon," she suggested. "Maybe at around 1:30?"

"Ano…nai, that's not good," Yamamoto replied. "I have an appointment at 2:30."

"What about 11:00?"

Another pause ensued. "Nope, I have an appointment at noon."

"Jeez," she said in exasperation as she blew a strand of hair off of her face. "What about 9:00 am then?"

"Yes, that's perfectly fine," he said with another smile. Both heaved a sigh of relief, happy that they found a suitable time.

"Ok, well, see you Saturday at 9:00 then," Sadayo said with a smile of her own. "Domo arigato and sayonara."

"Sayonara, Sadayo," he said and the two hung up. Sadayo noted the information in her palm pilot and went upstairs to her bedroom to relax.

"Ok, Kagome, oyasumi!" Sango said as she clocked out for the evening. "I hope Sadayo isn't too nervous tonight around _him_."

Kagome shrugged as she put away her files. "If she was nervous while she was in there with Sesshoumaru, she did quite an excellent job of hiding it."

"My question is, how does Inuyasha know her?" Sango asked. "Did they go to school together or something?"

Kagome nodded. "They were friends in college and hadn't seen each other since graduation. Even when InuTaisho handled her case, they still hadn't seen each other during that whole time…but they were only friends," she insisted quickly.

"Are you sure about that?" Sango asked with a hint of sneakiness in her voice and a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Kagome hissed with a hint of irritation, moving to hit Sango with a folder. Sango laughed, dodging her hit. "Are you and Miroku going out tonight?"

"Yeah, he's taking me to dinner at some restaurant at six-thirty."

"By the way, didn't he propose before?" she asked, sitting down on her desk. "Like last week or something?"

"Yeah, but I told him I need time to think," she said sheepishly. "I'm still not sure if I can trust him."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Girl, you have been dragging your feet for how long? You better say yes before he goes off looking for another woman."

"I dunno," she said slowly.

She got off the desk and put her hand on her friends' shoulder. "He loves you and wouldn't cheat on you. Everyone else can see that, so why can't you?"

"I'll try." She checked her watch. "I'm gonna go home and freshen up before I go out. Ja ne Kagome-chan," Sango said as she gathered her coat and purse and walked out the doors.

"Ja ne, Sango-chan," Kagome said with a smile. She picked up a folder and headed toward Sesshoumaru's office when an arm appeared from nowhere, pulling her into another room. Her scream was silenced by a pair of lips. Inuyasha pushed her back towards the wall, crushing her to his lean yet muscular frame. A green light on his phone beeped and flashed but neither one paid any attention. Kagome released a quiet moan and arched her back from Inuyasha sucking on her chest.

Sesshoumaru sighed and hung up the phone. His superb hearing picked up the sound of a small thump and a couple of moans. 'They're at it again,' he thought to himself. This happened quite frequently at the end of the day during the week, and it was always after Sango left. The humor about it was that they tried to stay quiet but, there were two other demons in the area, so they would have heard it eventually.

**You know you wish you were them, in that same position…..ha ha ha, no pun intended…::snickers::…**

_Nani? Oh no, not you again._

**I am you, you baka!**

_Shizuka ni! Go away!_

**Nai! You know you were thinking about Sadayo for the millionth time today. Ever since she came into this office, you can't get her out of your mind.**

_No, I was not, and she was nowhere near my mind. I do not think of her in such a manner._

He heard his beast scoff. **You are such a liar…You know she is drop-dead gorgeous, the sexiest thing we have ever laid eyes on…Ask her out, you idiot. What in the world are you waiting on?**

_This Sesshoumaru will do no such thing. Besides she is an employee. She will be working right underneath me._

**My thoughts exactly. See, now you're getting the picture!**

Sesshoumaru scoffed at his beast. _This Sesshoumaru is now choosing to end this conversation. _

**Well, **_**this **_**Sesshoumaru knows that **_**that **_**Sesshoumaru wants her. Stop denying yourself. That is one hot body!**

……_::silence::……._

**Alright, then fine! You can never get rid of me! Neener, neener, neener! But Sadayo will be ours…..**

With that, the feud between himself and…well, his beast ceased to continue and he massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He turned his attention back towards the computer screen.

Around 6:00, InuTaisho came back into his son's office. "Sesshoumaru, we should be getting ready to go. Traffic will be picking up soon and we do not want to miss our reservation."

"I shall be ready to leave in a moment otou-san," Sesshoumaru said in the classic monotone. He shut his computer down and began to straighten his desk for the morning.

InuTaisho detected a different scent in the air and jerked his thumb in the direction. "Inuyasha and Kagome, ne?" He said with a smile.

Sesshoumaru gave a grunt in response. InuTaisho shook his head with a smile and walked out of his eldest son's office. He detected the difference of his son's scent once Sadayo left. It spiked of arousal, even though it was a small portion. The small portion that escaped meant that Sesshoumaru was trying to conceal his emotions. InuTaisho smiled to himself. 'This is going to be very interesting,' he thought.

He walked a little down the hall to his own office and shut everything down also. Turning off the lights and closing the door, he walked to his youngest son's office and knocked on the door. "Come on you two," he said. "We are going to be late for dinner."

The door opened to see Inuyasha and Kagome standing there with straight expressions on their faces. "We're ready to go. We were waiting on you two," Inuyasha said.

InuTaisho raised an eyebrow. "Really? Kagome, you might want to fix your hair."

Kagome did so as a stripe of red spread across her cheeks.

Sadayo sat in traffic, praying that it would move along. It was typical of downtown Tokyo during this time, everyone getting home from work or other. The last thing she really wanted to do was be late for dinner with her new employers. Luckily, she arrived at the restaurant about ten minutes early, breathing a sigh of relief. Shifting the gear to park and shutting off the engine, Sadayo grabbed her purse on the passenger seat and keys and opened the door to leave the car. Walking to front door, she stopped in her tracks when she heard her name. It was a voice she was not happy to hear.

Cringing, she turned around slowly. A feeling of cold washed over her, feeling as though someone dumped a huge bucket of ice-cold water on her body as she saw her ex-husband coming towards her with an evil smirk on his face. Her body stiffened and she felt like she couldn't even move, her brain sending paralyzing tingles down her spinal column.

A beautiful young woman clung onto his arm. "How are you?" he asked with a smile. His medium-length spiky dark brown hair blew in the slight breeze that came through at that moment. Sadayo's hair wafted around her shoulders as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Just fine, Suikotsu," she said with a hint of indifference and a tinge of ice in her voice. Sadayo noticed that the both of them were wearing wedding bands on their ring fingers. 'You sure didn't waste any time marrying your whore.'

He tossed his head in the wind, looking at his watch. "What are you doing now with your life these days?"

She scoffed. "I'm having dinner with my new employers in a few minutes."

Her ex-husband pretended to be interested. "Oh, really? New employers, huh? Where are you working?"

She looked at him, eyes narrowing. "Takahari, you lost all privileges to know what occurs in my life when you cheated on me."

Takahari looked her up and down with a disapproving scoff. "I'm surprised you got another job, you pathetic excuse for a woman. Wretch, you are completely worthless. Look at you: you have no husband and no children." He shook his head at her in disgust. He was known to have these mood swings, almost as if he had a split personality. "You bring shame to your mother. I'm glad we divorced when we did because you were holding me back."

While he spoke Sadayo's eyes changed to a slight shade of red and a very low growl escaped her throat. He did not notice her physical change. 'What is happening to me?' she thought.

"Suikotsu, I'd much rather you leave me alone right now," she said, trying to exercise some sense of control over her blood. Her hands clenched into fists leaving nail marks on the inside of her palms and her grip caused her knuckles to change to a ghostly shade of white. Adrenaline was pumping intensely through her veins and she almost felt the call of blood to her. Something inside wanted her to just slice his head clean from his shoulders and to do the same to…other apppendages on his person.

By now, he was practically circling around her form as a vulture does dead meat. He laughed evilly once more. "You miserable, incompetent wench."

"I believe the woman asked you to leave her alone, Suikotsu," a voice said from behind Sadayo in a warning tone.

Suikotsu turned his head to face the man behind his ex-wife. "InuTaisho," Takahari said, eyes narrowing toward the taller man. Before he could even register his actions, Sesshoumaru moved from next to his father to in front of Sadayo, between her and her ex. He looked down his nose upon the smaller man.

"What the hell do you think you are going to do, pretty boy?" Suikotsu said with a sneer, looking up at him. Sesshoumaru said nothing but kept a menacing stare with his cold eyes on the man as his eyes narrowed and his fist tightened a little. He noticed a slight glimmer of fear that passed through Takahari's eyes and he would have snickered at the man had it not been that type of situation. Sadayo moved from her place behind Sesshoumaru and back in front of Suikotsu. She turned her attention to the woman next to her ex-husband.

"Watch yourself," she said. "If you're not careful, he'll leave you for the next tramp that will open her legs."

Her red eyes fixed on Sadayo. "What's wrong, Sadayo? Don't you recognize me?" she said with a sneer of her own.

Sadayo looked at the woman once again and her eyes widened and did a double take.

Flashback

Sadayo walked into her husband's office, stopping for a minute to speak to Akiko, his receptionist.

"Hey Sadayo! What's new?" she said.

She leaned on the counter, resting on her arms. "Nothing much. Just thought I'd come up and see if Takahari was up for some lunch."

"At 12:45 in the morning? It's more like a midnight snack," she said with a laugh.

"Well, you've gotta flip the script when you work nights," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Is he in his office?"

Akiko shrugged. "He didn't answer the intercom but just go ahead and see if he's in. He might be asleep at his desk or something. He's done that before on many occasions."

"Thanks." Sadayo walked down the hall to his office. Her sensitive ears picked up something, something that sounded like groaning. Was that a moan? She thought to herself. When she arrived she found that the door was cracked open a bit and she peeked in to see a woman on top of her husband in his chair, both nude and in full Technicolor…well, you fill in the blanks. In a moment of ecstasy, the woman threw her head back, eyes wide and hazy but displaying their crimson hue.

Her mouth dropped open as her feet felt as though they were stuck to the floor but for only a minute, and she immediately closed it. She took her cell phone out of her pants pocket and took a picture. She simply turned back around and walked out the door, Akiko calling after her.

"Sadayo?" Akiko called. She had never seen her friend walk that fast.

Sadayo turned around to her, countenance emotionless. "Yes?" she said, forcing a big smile to her face but it soon disappearing as quickly as it came.

She came around from her desk. Her friend had done something she had never seen, a stoic façade. "Are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, everything's fine. Oh look, my pager's going off. I gotta go." She said as she practically flew out of the room.

Walking outside the office, she pressed the button for the elevator. When the doors opened, no one was inside. She stepped into the elevator and the doors closed. Sadayo slumped against the wall and put her head in her arms, and silently cried.

End Flashback

"Kagura," she said with a hint of ice in her voice towards her as her eyes narrowed, giving her a death glare. "I should have known that it was my best friend doing my husband behind my back." Sadayo's face softened slightly and she scoffed with an evil smirk. "Looks like you did a chore for me and picked up my garbage."

Kagura scoffed at Sadayo and batted her eyelashes at Suikotsu as if he were the most perfect man on the face of the earth. "Sadayo, you didn't know how to treat this man. He deserved much better than you. Of course I'm the obvious answer."

Sadayo's eyes narrowed again. "You slut. The both of you deserve each other since you're nothing but worthless repulsive trash."

Kagura suddenly raised her hand to hit Sadayo on the side of her face. "You bit—" Her attack was cut short since Sadayo grabbed her wrist in a flash and slowly began to crush her wrist in her hand. Kagura began to cry in pain and her knees began to buckle. Seeing this Takahari reached to backhand Sadayo as well. She caught his wrist and began to crush it also with her long nails digging into both of their wrists, drawing blood that dribbled down the sides of their arms.

Both of them were on their knees in pain as Sadayo's demeanor changed to enraged. A strong rush of adrenaline surged through her veins as her honey eyes lightened in their shade. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he and his father detected her scent peak during the whole episode. Another low growl escaped her. Seeing and hearing that the encounter had gone far enough, especially before it got too bloody, InuTaisho put his hand on her shoulder.

"You have made your point clear," he said calmly. "Release them for they are not worth this much effort."

Instantly Sadayo let go as they tried to get up from the ground as best they could, holding their wrists. "You will pay for this, wench," Suikotsu growled underneath the pain. The two of them walked away as Sadayo's glare followed. Her eyes changed from their pink hue and returned to their normal white.

"Hey, what happened?" a voice asked from behind the three. Inuyasha and Kagome were coming up from behind as they stepped onto the curb.

"Are you alright, Sadayo?" InuTaisho asked, once again putting a hand on her shoulder. He felt her scent calm down after she took a deep breath.

"Yes, I am fine now," she said turning around to give them a smile. Her heart slowed down to her regular pace once again. 'What happened to me again?' she wondered.

Your true self will be revealed in time.

_Nani? Who are you?_

……::silence::……

_Ok, maybe I am going crazy._

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other confused at what transpired in their absence. Sesshoumaru stared at the back of Sadayo's head. 'So that's the teme that divorced this beautiful onna,' he thought to himself. 'She deserves better than that piece of crap.'

**Yes, she does. Us! Must make her new mate! Now! I cannot stand this any longer!**

_Why must you insist on pestering this Sesshoumaru? Have I not told you to go away?_

**I told you that you cannot get rid of me. You are stuck with me for the rest of your endless life.**

_...::groan:…_

The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Inuyasha spoke up. "Uh, should we go in and eat now, 'cuz I heard Kagome's stomach growling while we were in the car and you guys know how much she has been eating lately."

"Hey!" Kagome said, hitting her mate on the shoulder, crossing her arms with a 'humph'. The five of them went inside the restaurant. Inuyasha walked up to the maitre 'd.

"Taisho, party of five. 7:30 reservation."

The waiter checked the register. "Yes, Mr. Taisho your table is ready. Everyone follow me, onegai." The man turned with five menus in hand as he walked toward their table.

Inuyasha pulled out Kagome's chair and the other three sat down. Sadayo ended up with Kagome on her left and Sesshoumaru on her right. The waiter handed each of them menus once they all were seated. "Would you like to start with drinks and appetizers?"

"Yes," InuTaisho said. "I'll have the breadsticks, house salad with French dressing and a red wine."

"You sir?" he said, moving next to Sesshoumaru.

"Ano, a Cobb salad with Ranch dressing, breadsticks, and a white wine," he said not looking at the waiter.

"You ma'am?" he said, turning to Sadayo.

Her eyes quickly scanned the menu. "Um, I would like a glass of water, white wine and Cobb salad but with Honey Mustard dressing, please," she replied.

"How about you, ma'am?" he asked, moving around to Kagome.

"I'll have a cranberry juice, a glass of water, shrimp cocktail, breadsticks, French Onion soup, and a Cobb salad with extra bacon, cheese, tomatoes and eggs and Ranch and Honey Mustard dressing, please," she said with a smile.

The waiter winced after hearing Kagome's order. "And you sir," he said with a cough, moving next to Inuyasha.

"Uh, a red wine, breadsticks and Chef's salad with Honey Mustard dressing please," he replied. He looked over at Kagome with a disbelieving look in his eyes and mouth open.

"What?" Kagome asked, shrugging her shoulders.

'Hmm,' Sadayo thought to herself. 'I think I know what this is.' "So, what are the details I need to know for this job?" she asked, posing the question to anyone who would answer while taking a small sip of her water.

InuTaisho spoke up. "Well, now that we have three secretaries, Kagome will work with Inuyasha, Sango will work with me, and you will work with Sesshoumaru."

When he heard that, Sesshoumaru's pulse raced but he slowed it back down. He didn't want to seem eager. Luckily no one was looking in his direction to care.

"Everything else you need to know, we will talk more about tomorrow," he said. Sadayo nodded her head in agreement.

The rest of the evening continued without a hitch and with everyone enjoying good food and conversation. Well, everyone except for one. Sesshoumaru kept to himself as he silently consumed his food.

Inuyasha looked over at Sadayo as she cut into her meat and noticed that a small amount of blood oozed out of it. "Sadayo, I didn't know you could eat rare meat."

She shrugged her shoulders with a sheepish smile. "It's really medium rare. It sort of started when I was in high school and I got used to it. I sort of hate the taste of well-done meat, unless someone can't stomach it, then I'll cook it that far." She noticed that the other males were eating rate meat as well. "You guys like it too?"

InuTaisho and Inuyasha shared a glance. "I prefer rare," Inuyasha stated. Sesshoumaru said nothing but allowed a slight eyebrow raise and forked another small piece of meat into his mouth.

Kagome wrinkled her nose at everyone else and she looked down at her plate of baked chicken and vegetables. "All of you are weird. I can't stand uncooked meat." She made a motion as if she was going to throw up with a disgusted look on her face.

Sadayo chuckled at Kagome's childish antics and forked a small piece of meat into her mouth, chewing quietly, and slowly.

During the meal, at certain points because the two were so close, Sadayo and Sesshoumaru would slightly touch but she wouldn't pay it any attention.

The waiter came back to them. "Would anyone like any coffee or dessert?"

InuTaisho shook his head. "No, can we just have one box and the check please?"

The waiter bowed and left to do as he asked. Sadayo reached into her purse to pay for her meal, but InuTaisho stopped her. "When I invited you, I meant you were covered, also," he said with a smile as he took out his credit card and paid for everyone.

Sadayo walked back to her car after she said her goodnights to the Taisho's. She got into her car and leaned her head back against the headrest.

"Where did that come from?" she asked aloud. "I have never felt strong like that before in my life. Am I some kind of animal?" With a sigh, she put the key in the ignition and turned, the engine roaring to life. She tuned her radio to a jazz station and allowed the music to calm herself as she continued her journey back home. When she got back home, she tossed her keys and purse onto the counter in the kitchen again and placed her leftover food in the refrigerator. She took off her shoes and leaned against the island, turning on the television.

Something odd was scenting the air. "What is that smell?" She followed her nose until it caused her to look at her hands and found that there was dried blood was still residing in her fingernails. Walking over to the sink, she grabbed the dishwasher soap and scrubbed furiously until all traces of it had vanished. "Why didn't anyone else tell me that I had blood under my nails? Or better yet, why didn't I notice it?" she asked aloud again, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

Sesshoumaru and InuTaisho separated in the hallway to their own quarters. Once inside his room, Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him. Stripping down to nothing and placing his clothes in the hamper, he walked to his bathroom and stepped into the shower, relaxing his tense muscles by allowing the steaming water run over his body and hair. After coming out and drying off, he dressed in a pair of black silk boxers, black sweatpants and a black tank top and took out his laptop from his briefcase while tying his hair up into a neat ponytail. Grabbing his reading glasses from the nightstand he turned his attention back towards the computer, inserting the flash drive. He tried to do a little more work on top of his bed, but found himself unable to concentrate…for some strange reason, which meant a certain woman kept entering his mind. Turning off the computer and placing it on the bottom of the nightstand, he turned out the light and looked at the clock which said 11:30. The moonlight pooled on the floor in front of the bed and on the end of the cherry wooden footboard.

Sesshoumaru leaned back against the silk pillows and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't believe his actions earlier at the restaurant. Without thinking, he had jumped in front of Sadayo during her confrontation as if……as if he were protecting her, like she was his mate. When she stepped back in front of him, she was telling him that this was her fight. He wondered that if his father had not intervened would she have broken their wrists or had them succumb to death from bleeding? The amount of power that she exerted during her fight made her seem like she was…a youkai. 'But she cannot be youkai,' he reasoned within himself, 'her scent is completely human. I must be going out of my mind.' With these thoughts rolling around in his head, he turned over on his side and went to sleep.

Sadayo rolled over onto her side and peered at the clock through sleepy eyes. The green lighting read 6:15 am. Her alarm was due to go off in fifteen minutes so she switched it off and got up from the bed, stretching her sleepy limbs with a yawn. She got down on the floor and began to do stretching exercises then as soon as she finished the phone rang. 'Who would call this freaking early in the morning?' She picked up the cordless phone that was on her nightstand next to the clock. "Hello?" All she heard on the other end was really heaving breathing. She hurriedly pushed the off button. "That was nasty," she said aloud, while replacing the phone on the charger.

She stripped herself of her nightclothes and went into the shower. After drying off, she parted her hair down the middle, curled her bangs and pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail. Walking to the closet, she picked out a black pantsuit with thin pink pinstripes and a pink shirt, tying a black silk belt around the shirt. She plucked her pink patent leather pumps with a small pink bow from the closet floor. Donning a little pink eyeshadow on her eyelids and pink gloss on her lips, she walked downstairs to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Walking to the refrigerator, she grabbed an apple juice a crunchy granola bar and a container of yogurt. She sat at the island eating her breakfast.

When she looked at the clock, she noticed she had an hour to get to work so she grabbed her keys, purse and shoes and suit jacket. She set the house alarm and walked to the garage. Pressing the button on the wall, the door raised slowly as she pressed the button on the remote for her car. The horn beeped and the lights flashed as she got in and started the engine. Backing out of the garage, she started in the direction of her new job.

**_Reviews are welcome!!_**

**Chapter Three**

"Ohayo Sadayo," Sango said warmly as she walked through the glass doors.

"Ohayo Sango," Sadayo replied with the same amount of warmth.

"Good morning Sadayo," another voice said.

She whirled around to find InuTaisho standing a few feet away from her, leaning slightly on the front desk. "Ohayo gozaimasu sir," she said, giving him a small bow in respect.

He gave her a small smile in return. "The formalities are not necessary, Sadayo." She shrugged sheepishly. "Well anyway, as soon as Sesshoumaru gets here we can—Ah, speak of the devil," he said with another smile and a gesture of his hand. Sadayo turned around to find Sesshoumaru walking in the door, briefcase in hand.

"Good morning Sesshoumaru," the two said simultaneously. He looked up at his father and Sadayo at the sounds of their greeting him. "Morning," he mumbled.

"Morning," the two replied. He walked past them coolly and closed the door to his office. Sadayo shuddered at the breeze he created.

"Sadayo, can you see me in my office?" InuTaisho said as he turned around.

"Sure," she said as she followed behind.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair. She obliged as he calmly and thoroughly explained everything she would need to know. "We usually do not come to work this early. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and myself come in around 9:00 or 9:15. The only reason we asked you to come in at 8:30 is because that gives you a little extra time to get ahead on your work. As you can see, working in a law firm can be quite taxing." He gestured to the piles of folders on his desk. "Do you have any questions so far?"

She shook her head in response and waited for him to continue.

"Usually, your shift will be eight hours along with an hour for lunch unless you are needed to stay later if one of us has cases coming up. On a typical day you are to assist Sesshoumaru in his plans for the day, including from typing documents to finding files, answering phones and taking messages. You clock in each morning and you get one hour for your lunch break as I stated before and you also clock in and out for lunch." He looked her clothes over. "I approve of what you are wearing for today. Monday through Thursday I prefer the attire to be business-like, but on Fridays you can be casual if you wish but within limits, of course. We don't want to give our clients the wrong impression. Do you have any questions so far?"

Sadayo thought for a minute. "No sir, I have no questions as of yet but there will be something I will discuss with you in time."

"That's fine," he said, with a glance at the clock on the wall. "I think you need to go see Sesshoumaru in a moment. He may be able to explain some things in further detail than I." His phone beeped and he reached around to grab it. His voice turned low and he turned around from her.

As he spoke, she thought over in her mind everything that InuTaisho spoke to her about. Sadayo wasn't even paying attention to what was going on. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Sesshoumaru calling her name.

"Ms. Atami," he said with a rather harshness of annoyance. He was standing in the door frame. Her head snapped back to attention and turned around in the chair to face him. "Gomen, sir. Yes?" His facial expression was blank but as she searched his eyes they gave off concern and confusion simultaneously.

"I was trying to tell you that I needed to see you in my office," he said as he turned to leave. She got up and left InuTaisho's office and went into Sesshoumaru's. She stood behind the chair.

He looked over at her after he picked something up from his desk. "Will you plan to stand for the entire time or are you going to have a seat?" he asked, gesturing to a seat. She moved from behind the chair to the front and sat down, remaining silent as she waited for him to speak.

Sesshoumaru looked at her once again. "I expect all of your work to be done in a timely manner and to also be free of error. The storage room is the door before this one. It contains paper, ink, staples, paper clips and other things necessary for myself and you. Also, the file cabinets are in that room, pertaining to previous and current cases. They are dated and filed alphabetically so locating a specific file should not be too difficult. The employee break room is two doors up from your desk on the right. There is a microwave, refrigerator and coffee machine. Sango and Kagome will tell you everything else that you need to know. Any questions?"

Looking directly into her eyes, once again he found himself mesmerized by her hazel pools. Almost in the blink of an eye, he noticed that her ears twitched and became pointed. In a second, he realized that she in turn was locked with his own amber irises. He waved his hand over her face. "Ano…iie." She turned and walked out of his office, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door frame, wondering what happened. Little did she know, Sesshoumaru was leaning against his desk wondering the same thing. While she stood there, her ears changed back to her human form.

Sesshoumaru blew a strand of hair away from his face in confusion. 'What is she?' he wondered. 'Could she be a full youkai or a hanyou? Whatever she is, I have got to find out.'

Sadayo was walking back to her desk when Sango walked past her.

"There you are!" she said happily. "Are you ready to learn?"

Sadayo bowed. "Hai, Sango-sensei. I am an open book. Teach me everything you know."

"You have much to learn, grasshopper," Sango said with a bow of her own. The two laughed and walked as Sango showed Sadayo everything she needed to know.

"So, has Sesshoumaru intimidated you yet?" Sango asked.

Sadayo shrugged. "Not really. I've seen him yell, though." She winced at the memory. "It's kind of hard on the ears. I never knew one could be so loud."

Sango chuckled. "Yeah but once you get to know him, he's…pretty much the same way," she said with a smile on her face.

For the next hour and a half, Sango walked Sadayo through the entire office and showed her how everything worked. Every receptionist had their own "office" as it were. To Sango's surprise, Sadayo learned very quickly and by noon, she was typing her second document.

"I just thought of something. Where is Kagome today?" Sadayo asked.

Sango shrugged. "Well, she's not here," she said with a smirk.

Sadayo turned around and scoffed. "Ha ha ha. Very funny, smart ass."

"She's out sick," Inuyasha spoke up. "We were getting ready to leave this morning and before we walked out of the door she started throwing up and wouldn't stop. I told her to stay home. My old man knows."

InuTaisho was just coming from around the corner. "Just who were you calling old, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha smiled sheepishly. "I was kidding otou-san."

"Uh huh," he replied knowingly. He was handing two papers to Sango. "Sango, will you retype this for me? There are just slight errors in the last paragraph. I sent the document back to you in an e-mail so you won't have to redo the whole document."

"Sure," Sango said as she took the paper from her boss.

He turned his attention to Inuyasha. "How is Kagome feeling?" Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. I called home a little while ago but she didn't answer. My guess is that she is asleep."

Inuyasha looked up at the clock and then turned his attention to the women. "Are you guys ready to go to lunch?"

Sango shrugged. "Um, I'll finish this first."

InuTaisho shook his head. "No, Sango it can wait until after you come back. I forgot it was after twelve. You may go on ahead to lunch." He followed her back to his desk and then disappeared back around the corner to his office.

"Arigato, sir." Sango said with a smile. "I am starving." She practically jumped up and ran to go clock out for lunch.

Inuyasha looked over at Sadayo. "How about it Sadayo? Are ya hungry?"

Sadayo shook her head. "Nah, I'm not really hungry. I might grab something a little later though. You guys go on ahead."

"Ok," Sango said in a skeptical tone as she grabbed her purse from her bottom desk drawer, the metal closing with an echo. "We'll see you in a little while." She and Inuyasha disappeared through the glass doors.

A few minutes after they left, Sadayo stood up and stretched her arms. InuTaisho turned to her as he walked back out front.

"Sadayo, why are you still here? You didn't go to lunch?" he inquired.

She turned to look at him and then shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. I thought I would enjoy the silence for once."

"Are you sure you do not want something to eat?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded in affirmation. "I never really eat much anyway, but I might grab something a little later on."

He looked at her with a skeptical glance. "Alright, if you insist. But if you do get hungry, you will go and get something to eat. I can't have my employees collapsing from hunger."

She saluted with a grin. "Yes, sir," she said.

"If anyone calls, please put them through to my voicemail. I will return from lunch within the hour," he said with a smile.

She nodded as he also stepped through the glass doors and disappeared from view.

She pulled a bag of chips from her desk drawer that Sango had given her earlier that morning and began to snack on them while completing a few documents that Sesshoumaru had left in her basket. After a few moments of typing, cracked her knuckles and she stood up and went into the break room. 'Oh, great,' she thought happily. 'There is hazelnut in here!' Getting her favorite type of coffee from the closet, she grabbed a cup and added the water in the machine. Looking around, she searched all of the cabinets for cream and sugar. She found the cream, but unfortunately, the sugar was all the way at the top of the cabinet.

"Who puts sugar all the way in the top of a cabinet?" she asked quietly, blowing her bangs from her forehead in frustration. Getting the stepstool from the corner, she climbed to the top step and made the attempt to reach for the sugar. Even stepping on her tiptoes to try to give herself more reach was futile. She felt the container close enough to her fingertips but she lost her balance and fell backward from the stool. She expected to hit the ground, but instead of being embraced by a cold floor, two strong arms held her shaking form.

"Are you alright?" asked a deep baritone. Opening her eyes, she found Sesshoumaru to be staring back at her. His usually cold voice was replaced by a surprisingly warm one…slightly. He stared at her with an expressionless face but she saw a flicker of concern pass through his eyes.

"Yes, I think I am fine now," she said, her voice still slightly shaking, but her body ceased to do so. He gently set her back down on her feet. "What were you doing up there?"

A stripe of red passed over her ivory cheeks. "I was getting sugar for my coffee," she said sheepishly. "It was all the way at the top."

Sesshoumaru turned and looked in the cabinet that was next to it. "Here is more sugar right here," he said, pulling a container from the first shelf.

Sadayo shrugged. "Gomennasai. I didn't see it there." She proceeded to make her coffee with Sesshoumaru watching her curiously. She turned around and raised her cup to him. "Arigato, Mr. Taisho." She walked past him with her. The smell of sweet pea and violets reached his nose. 'That scent is practically intoxicating,' he thought.

As she walked back to her desk, she couldn't stop thinking about Sesshoumaru's arms around her. 'Oh Kami, those arms,' she pondered. 'No other arms were ever that strong. Not even Takahari's.' For some strange reason, she wanted to feel him arms around her again. 'What's wrong with you?' she scolded herself. 'He's your boss. This is not right. He may be handsome—that he is—well, you are human…No, no. Never again. It's inappropriate.'

Even trying to push these thoughts out of her head, the feel of his arms was burned into her memory and somewhere deep inside of her wanted to feel his arms again.

Of course you want that again. Didn't he feel amazing! If that were his arms then…everything else……whoo! Catch my drift lady?

_Who are you? _

…Your true self will be revealed in time…

_That is the second time that has happened. And I am wondering if I am truly going crazy!_

'She's as light as a feather,' he thought. The way her body felt next to his seemed and felt so natural. Sadayo was unaware to the fact that when he caught her, she grabbed onto his shirt as if she wasn't going to let go. Her long legs…those seductive hips…that delicious-looking chest… her full lips…her long, dark eyelashes. He almost licked his lips in anticipation before he stopped himself. 'No,' he scolded himself. 'This Sesshoumaru refuses to develop feelings for an employee and a human woman he just met at that.'

**Too late!**

_..::growl::…Go away!_

**I can't……we are one! Hey…Isn't that a song from a kids' movie? Didn't it have to do with a lion or something?**

_Why do you insist on pestering this Sesshoumaru with your incessant prattling?_

**Until you accept your feelings for this woman, I will continue to annoy you.**

Sesshoumaru gave another low growl to himself to try to get his beast under control but he was struggling very hard to accept the fact that he was beginning to develop feelings for a woman he had only known for two days. 'But I know her from somewhere,' he reasoned. 'But, where?'

He had gone into the room because he decided that he too wanted coffee. Normally, Sesshoumaru only drank coffee in the morning, but this particular day he was unable to make his trip to Starbucks, so he had to settle for the coffee that was in the break room. He walked into the room as her head disappeared into the cabinet. He saw her lean calf muscles twitch as she stretched her torso for the container. When he saw her body fall backward, it was as if everything began to happen in slow motion. His eyes saw her lose her balance and his legs responded in his demon speed. She continued to fall as his arms stretched out and she landed directly in them, he never faltering. Sadayo was no heavy woman. Wherever he weight was, it was in all the right places.

Mentally shaking his head from his thoughts, he went back to work. About forty-five minutes later, a knock sounded at his door. "Enter," he called, his eyes roaming over a document on the screen. Inuyasha walked into the room holding a takeout bag.

"Here's your lunch Sesshoumaru," he said. "Father told me that you stayed here during your break and he told me to make sure that—" He cut himself off and glared daggers at his older brother. "Why is Sadayo's scent all over you?" He demanded to know firmly, dropping the bag onto the desk with a small thud.

"I do not have to answer to you _otouto_," he retorted, the last word coming out with a snort. "Be mindful of who is the older and who is the younger."

Inuyasha was around the side of the desk in a flash. "You will answer me you teme, or I will beat the answer out of you," his voice raising and concealing spell slipping. His hair flashed white while Sesshoumaru stood from his chair, towering over his younger brother with a chuckle.

"Your anger amuses me Inuyasha," he said, looking down on his brother. "But if you must know why I smell like that ningen onna it is because she fell from the stepladder in the break room and I caught her."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and a small growl escaped him. "That better have been all that happened Sesshoumaru." He turned and walked toward the door. "And for the record, she is not human. She is a hanyou, like me." His eyes widened at his words and he smacked himself in the forehead.

Sesshoumaru's ears twitched and his younger brother turned back around. "Nani? H-how?" he stammered, mentally scolding himself for sounding like an idiot. He grabbed his brother by the shoulder and turned him to face his stoic eyes. "How is she a hanyou?" he demanded to know.

Inuyasha muttered a curse under his breath and averted his eyes. "Damn it. I promised her I would never tell anyone."

"Does she know about us?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I never revealed myself to her. But she doesn't know anything about her being a hanyou. She thinks she's a human."

Sesshoumaru released his brother and leaned against his desk. "She's a hanyou," he whispered, his face blank of emotion but his eyes confused but intrigued. For now, he knew one thing about her, but his curiosity wasn't sated yet and he wouldn't rest until it was.

Three weeks later at around seven o' clock on a Friday night, Sadayo sat in her living room packing boxes. When she put the tape on the final box, she flopped down onto the carpet floor.

"I'm done," she said with a smile on her face. She flopped backward and sprawled out looking up at the high ceiling in her room.

"I never thought I would be happy to say sayonara to this house," she said aloud to no one but herself. Her cell phone rang as she felt the vibrations through the carpet.

She looked at the front display revealing that it was her mother's house. "Hello?" she said.

"Hi honey," a voice floated back to her ear.

"Mom," she said, smiling through the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," her mother answered back. Nothing was said for a few moments later. Here it comes, Sadayo thought. "Why do I have to hear from another source that you were moving?"

She sighed. "Okaa-san, the reason I did not was because I did not want to risk anyone else hearing the news and it getting back to you-know-who," that last part coming out with as much venom as she could muster.

"But I'm your mother," her mother said, almost with a whine in her voice.

Sadayo had to smile at her mother. "Atami Tamiko," she said jokingly, "this had nothing to do with you but I was going to tell you eventually."

"When were you going to tell me, after you moved to Hokkaido?"

Sadayo shook her head. "I'm not moving to Hokkaido, Mom. It's still in Tokyo. Anyway, how is Yuko?" Her younger sister was always hard to keep up with.

"I'm here," her sister's voice floated through the wires. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good," she said. "I've got a new job and whatnot."

"Congratulations! I'm getting married," her sister said nonchalantly.

"Yeah so, I'm gonna be…what did you just say?" Sadayo caught on.

Her sister smiled back. "I'm getting married."

Sadayo gushed on the phone. "Oh my goodness! Congratulations Yuko! Who is he?"

"His name is Yamada Shippo."

"Am I going to meet him?" Sadayo asked, sitting up.

"I was getting to that," her sister said impatiently. "What are you doing next Friday night?"

She picked her palm pilot up from her nightstand and checked her schedule. "Nothing, why?"

"Good, she said. "Mom is throwing an engagement party for us and I was hoping you would come."

"Atami Yuko, you know I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said again, smiling once more. "I just hope your marriage doesn't turn out like mine did."

"I hope mine doesn't either," Yuko replied. "But who knows for you? That may have not been the right guy for you. There could be another one out there."

Sadayo laughed. "I don't think so, sis. But let me finish getting things together and I will have to talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, Sada-chan," her sister said. "Aishiteru!"

"I love you too," she said. "Tell Mom I love her too."

"I love you too honey!" her mother yelled through the wires.

She smiled. "Bye!"

She closed her cell phone and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After she came out, she dressed in jeans and a black baby T-shirt and white socks. Her hair dried in waves as her doorbell rang.

Walking downstairs she grabbed her money from the chest in the foyer. Opening the door she saw the delivery man staring at her and she gave him the entire amount and he thanked her and walked away. Closing and locking the door after him, Sadayo took her Chinese food into the kitchen and turned on the TV sitting on the counter, watching sitcoms until she finished.

After a busy weekend of unpacking her things in her new apartment, Sadayo was relieved when she awoke Monday morning readying herself for work.

Sadayo was the last one to arrive at the firm as she ran to clock in.

Sango shuddered as Sadayo created a blast of wind from her racing into the office. "Good grief, woman! Slow down! You're gonna kill someone!" Sadayo was relived to see that she had clocked in a few seconds early. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to gasp for air.

Kagome chuckled as she saw her friend bent over with her hands on her knees. "You just made it. Breathe already." A few moments later, Sadayo stood up and walked into the break room. Armed with a cup of coffee, she sat down at her desk and as soon as she turned on her computer the phone rang.

"Thank you for calling 'Taisho, Taisho & Taisho: Attorneys at Law.' This is Sadayo speaking. How may I help you?" she answered breathlessly.

"Yes, this is Akiyama Naoki. May I speak to Taisho Sesshoumaru please?"

"He is not here at the moment. Let me put you through to his voicemail." Sadayo put the man on hold and pressed the button for Sesshoumaru's voicemail.

She began typing documents that were left in her basket and was ready to print her first one until she realized a light flashed. It was out of paper. Shaking her head, she walked into the storage room, looking up and down the shelves for printer paper.

"I trust you will not be falling from anything this time," a voice said, breaking the silence.

Her head swiveled to see Sesshoumaru coming toward her.

She chuckled. "Let's hope not." Her eyes scanned the lower shelf until she found what she was looking for, bending down to pick up a packet of paper. "Did you need me to get anything for you?" Sadayo straightened herself and looked at him. He was wearing a pair of black trousers with a silver shirt and a black tie, along with black wing-tip shoes. His long black hair was tied back into a low ponytail. He seemed regal as he carried himself…almost as if he was royalty.

"Well, I did but I found what I was looking for," he said, his eyes not leaving hers.

At his intense gaze, she almost blushed with a shiver. She was wearing a baby blue button-down shirt and a pair of black pants that flared a little past her kneecap. Her hazel eyelids were decorated with a light dusting of blue eyeshadow. Her long black mane was put into a high ponytail, the length of it touching the middle of her back. The shoes she wore were the same matching blue color and were around two inches. Her clothes were not skintight, but they fit around her enough to get Sesshoumaru's mind going. "Well then, I must get back to work. Excuse me," she said, trying to squeeze past him, seeing how the space was small. She almost effectively did so had it not been for her rear end brushing across a very sensitive part of Sesshoumaru. He tensed up a little, but she didn't seem to notice as she walked out of the room.

He had to wait a few moments to let his body relax. Never before had that happened to him. The touch was only slight and lasted for only a little longer than a second, but it was enough to cause him to receive a slight welcome from his member. He groaned quietly as his youkai struggled within him just to grab Sadayo and take her right then and there in the room. Looking around, he saw staples and a stapler and he left the room, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Later on that day, Sango nudged Sadayo in her ribs. "Nice outfit," she said. "Where are you going after work?"

Sadayo looked at her friend. "Nowhere," she said. "I'm just trying to be presentable for work is all."

Sango looked at her. "Well then I need to shop where you shop then."

Sadayo chuckled. "Where is Kagome?"

Sango shrugged and looked at the clock. "Check her office and she if she wants to head out to lunch."

"Okay," Sadayo agreed. She turned around and walked back up to her friends' office, and meeting a closed door. She knocked softly and heard no answer. Opening the door quietly, she was met with a sleeping Kagome at her desk.

"Kagome! Wake up!" Sadayo shook her friend's shoulder gently. She awoke with a snort from her desk as her head snapped up.

"Huh? What is it?" Kagome said, eyes shooting open.

She stood back a little bit. "You've been sleeping a lot for the past few weeks and you were asleep just now," she said quietly. Sadayo looked at her friend's face. Kagome's eyes held a reddish tinge, her skin tone had been much paler than usual, and she had even lost a little weight.

"Yeah, I've been a little tired," Kagome replied, wiping her eyes from the sleep in the corners.

"Are you sure you're just tired, Kags?" she asked, with a look of concern washing over her face. She pressed her hand to her friend's forehead. At least she isn't warm, but still….Sadayo thought to herself

"You have been sleeping an awful lot though, Kagome," Sango said as she came into the room. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, though. I got my second wind now," Kagome said as she plastered a smile to her face and stood up only to hold her hand to her head. Sadayo held her friend upright as she started to sway on her feet.

"Kagome, I'm really not so sure about you these days," she said with a skeptical look on her face.

"Me either," Sango added as she came into the room, also looking very concerned. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Well, it's almost time for lunch. Maybe you need to eat something. Did you have breakfast this morning?"

"Yeah, I did, but I threw it up not long after I ate it," she responded wistfully. She took a package of saltine crackers out of her bottom desk drawer and bit off the end of one while also taking out a bottle of ginger ale. "I've been eating these and drinking this to try to settle my stomach all day. I just know tried to sleep it off."

"Well, let's go to lunch. You probably need to eat at least some soup," Sango said. The three women left Kagome's office and each went to go to the time clock.

"Guys, I have something to tell you," Kagome said as they clocked out to go to lunch. "I'll tell you in a minute." She kept quiet as Inuyasha walked past and then kissed his mate on the cheek. After he disappeared into his office she motioned for them to follow her outside. Sango and Sadayo grabbed their purses and went after their friend and they walked out of the glass doors, heading to the underground garage.

"What is it?" Sango asked. She got a closer look at her friend as they walked. "You still don't look so good."

"I'm fine," she said as they all walked toward Sadayo's car. Sadayo hit her keypad and then the three women piled into her Benz. Kagome got into the back and then stretched out. Sadayo started the engine and peeled out faster than she meant to.

Sango looked at her. "Uh, you think you could slow down a little?" Sango asked.

"Sorry," Sadayo replied sheepishly. "Sometimes I can have a lead foot and not realize it until I get onto the highway and see 89."

Sango looked at her friend and one eyebrow raised. "How many speeding tickets have you ever gotten in life?"

Sadayo thought for a minute as she stopped at a red light. "Maybe one?" She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

Sango's eyes widened in shock. "How can you drive so fast and never get a ticket? What, do you show your legs or cleavage or something?"

"Nope, I guess I just never got caught that much," she said with a shrug. Sadayo glanced in her rearview mirror and caught the slight smile on Kagome's face. Her eyebrow furrowed in confusion, as if she was having an internal battle.

"Kags, you okay?" Sadayo asked. "You're kinda quiet back there."

Kagome shrugged her shoulders at her question. She looked down at her fingernails before she spoke. "Hey Sango, Sadayo, uh…I think…uh…"

"Spit it out, girl," Sango said as she turned around in her seat.

"I think I might be pregnant," Kagome said quietly.

Sango and Sadayo scoffed. "I could have told you that," they both said simultaneously. "Jinx!" they said with a laugh and they hooked pinkies.

"Why didn't the two of you say anything before?" Kagome said, her eyes widening.

"We thought you would have figured it out by now," Sango said.

"How late are you?" Sadayo asked.

"About three months," she replied.

"Pregnant," Sango said instantaneously.

"Kagome, do you have a pregnancy test at home?" Sadayo asked as she stopped the car at another red light.

"Well, it's not something that I keep in my purse," she said.

"Well, here you go," Sango said. She handed Kagome a test from out of her purse. Kagome and Sadayo looked at her with their eyes widened and mouths agape.

"What?" Sango asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Why in the world do you have a pregnancy test in your purse?" Sadayo asked. "Are you pregnant too?"

Sango blew a raspberry. "Me? Pregnant? Hell no! I got it because I figured out that Kagome might be and was waiting for her to spill the beans."

"Uh huh," Sadayo and Kagome said at the same time. "Jinx!" they cried and hooked pinky fingers.

The three women fell silent as Sadayo continued to drive. "Guys, I'm wasting gas here and we haven't even decided on where we want to eat. How about Italian?"

"Fine," Sango said.

"Okay with me," Kagome said.

Sadayo drove a few more blocks and then she parked. About twenty minutes later, the three women game back out with their food and drove back to the firm. The three women sat in the break room and ate the rest of their food until their break was up.

"So what are you going to do?" Sadayo said quietly.

"I'm gonna take the test when Inuyasha isn't around," Kagome said. "If I'm pregnant, I'm gonna tell him, of course, but if not, I won't worry about it."

"Well, don't wait too long," Sango said. "The suspense is killing me!"

Sadayo and Kagome shook their heads at her and then they all put their food in the trash and walked back into the hall to the time clock to continue in their work.

Around four-thirty, Sadayo and Sango walked back to the time clock to punch their cards. The two shared a knowing look. "I hope so too," Sadayo said. "See you tomorrow okay?" Sango said. Sadayo nodded as she walked back to her office. Sadayo gathered her things and walked up to Kagome. "Call me later ok Kags?" she said quietly.

Kagome nodded at her as she clocked out. "I will," she replied. As she walked past Sesshoumaru's office, he called her name. A moment later, she reappeared in the doorway. He was standing by his bookshelf when he looked at her.

"I will not be present in the office tomorrow. I will be in court with a client so everything that I will need for you to do will be left in your box for the morning."

She nodded. "Fine. Have a good evening," she said and walked back down the hall. When she walked to the glass doors she found Inuyasha standing near the bathroom.

"Goodnight, Inuyasha," she said.

"'Night Sadayo," he replied with a smile. At the thought of him possibly being a father, Sadayo giggled at the image of him sitting in front of a high chair trying to feed his child and seeing baby food all over his face and clothes with a disgusting look on his face.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, trying to stifle another laugh as she walked to the doors.

**_Reviews are welcome!!_**


	2. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Sadayo arrived home throwing her keys and mail on the table and changed her clothes so she could get comfortable. She changed into a black baby T-shirt and a pair of dark blue at-waist jeans and white socks. She turned her television and turned her DVD player on and put in one of the seasons of her favorite sitcom. Looking around her living room, she sighed and picked up a box and looked at the label on it to see where it was destined for. "I guess I better finish this up or I will never get it done," she mused quietly. She noticed that it was meant for the kitchen and opened it with a box cutter, pulling out her newspaper-wrapped plates and putting some of them in her cabinet or on the countertop. Looking for the other box she marked for the kitchen she found it and unpacked her glassware and placed it in the same cabinet. Her house phone rang and she went to answer it.

"Hello?" she said.

"Close your blinds, I can see your sexy black thong from here," an anonymous voice said.

She hung up the phone with a scoff and then she shivered at the thought of someone watching her. She looked over at her balcony window and saw that her blinds were closed and so were her curtains. With a scoff, she dismissed the call. But that was a little funny, because she was wearing a black thong. As she continued to unpack a loud vibrating was heard through the room as she looked at the countertop to see her phone inching across it.

"Hello?" she said as she opened another box, pinning the phone between her ear and her neck.

"Sadayo?" a voice said. "It's Kagome."

"Hey!" she said cheerfully. "How are you?" She picked up her remote and turned the volume down on her television and pushed the button for the speaker phone and set it down on the counter. "I just put you on the speaker phone Kagome. Can you hear me okay?"

"Yeah, you're clear enough." Kagome said and she sighed a little through the phone. "I'm getting nervous to be quite honest. The timer for the test hasn't gone off yet and I was wondering how to fill it up so I called you. I needed to talk to someone to get my mind off of it."

"Oh, so I was a last resort, huh?" Sadayo said with a smile through the phone.

Kagome scoffed with a smile. "You know what I mean."

Sadayo laughed as she pulled another plate from the box and put in on the counter. "Yeah, I do. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"I know and I appreciate it. I need to laugh to get my mind off of this test." Kagome paused for a minute. "Hey, hang on for a second," Kagome said.

Sadayo didn't even have time to respond before she heard a click on the other end. 'Did she just hang up on me?' she thought.

"Sadayo?" Kagome's voice came back a moment later. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she replied as she pulled newspaper off of more drinking glasses and put them away in another cupboard.

"Sadayo?" another voice was heard.

"Hey Sadayo," Sango said. "Kagome put us on three-way."

"Uh, yeah, I kind of guessed that," she replied.

"Smart ass," was what she heard in return.

Sadayo giggled. "Kagome, Inuyasha's not around is he?"

Kagome shook her head on her end of the line. "No, the three of them are still at work. Come to find out that all three of them will not be in the office tomorrow because somehow all of the judges for their clients' cases moved them up to tomorrow. Looks like it's just gonna be the three of us in the office tomorrow."

"Oh," Sango said. "So can I call in sick then?"

"You'd better not," Sadayo and Kagome said simultaneously. "Do you know how much work they leave behind for us to do? We need you there," Kagome added.

"I know, I know," Sango grumbled. "Damn. I was hoping to have a day off."

"Nice try," Kagome replied. The females talked for a few more minutes until a small sound was heard.

"What was that, Kagome?" Sadayo asked knowingly. Kagome fell silent. "That was the test wasn't it?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah."

"Go check it!" the other two women said instantly. "Jinx!" they said with a laugh.

"I'm so nervous, I feel like I could throw up right now," Kagome said.

"Sit down, Kagome," Sadayo said firmly. "Have a glass of water, take a few deep breaths and try to not pass out on me. If need be, put your head between your knees."

Kagome obliged with a sigh and a laugh. "Yes, mom," she joked and took a few deep breaths and waited a second. "Okay, guys…uh, I think I'm gonna go and look now."

"Good luck, Kags," Sango said.

"Yeah, good luck," Sadayo added.

"Hang on a minute." The two women heard nothing for a moment as all they heard were muffled footsteps and small sounds.

"Do you think…" Sango trailed off.

"I think she is, but we have to see what the test says first," Sadayo said. "I really hope she is pregnant." The two of them fell silent and waited until finally Kagome spoke.

"Uh, do you guys know what a minus means?" Kagome said with a sad tone in her voice.

The two women said nothing until Sadayo spoke up. "It means negative," she said gently.

Kagome fell silent. "Oh, okay," she replied softly looking at the test. "Well, actually I just wanted to know because right now I am actually looking at a plus sign." Her smile grew and the two women could feel it on their receiving ends.

Kagome held the phone away at an arms length from her as two ear-piercing shrieks erupted. "Gosh, you guys. I think my eardrum burst," she replied with a smile as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Congratulations, Kagome," Sango said. A few tears leaked from her eyes as she reached for some tissue. Sango dabbed at her face. Her friend whom she regarded as a little sister was going to be bringing a new life into the world. "I'm gonna be an auntie!"

"Congratulations Kagome," Sadayo said as she smiled through the phone. She thought about the condition of her friend over the last couple of weeks but she quietly put all of the pieces together and kept the information to herself. "I could have told you that you were pregnant a long time ago but I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to get your hopes up and everything. I mean, you had all the signs: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, mood swings—"

"Jeez Sada," Sango said. "How'd you know all that? What are you, a nurse?"

Sadayo stopped in her rant. "Uh, well, I just read a lot."

Kagome spoke up then. "Now, here's the biggest question: how in the world am I going to tell Inuyasha?"

"Kagome, just tell him," Sango answered. "I'm sure he'll be happy about being a father. There's no sense in beating around the bush."

Kagome wrung her hands on her end. "I dunno…" she said warily.

"Just tell him," Sadayo chimed in. "Inuyasha is like a big kid anyway so it'll be like having two kids in the house…Wait, are you sure you want to have a baby?" She laughed through the wires.

"Oh, shut up," Kagome said with a smile. "Well, I guess I'll tell him when I can."

Just then, Kagome heard a door open on her end, even though she was all the way in the kitchen. "Guys, I'll talk to you later. Inuyasha just came home," she said quietly.

"Ok, good luck," Sango said.

"Yeah, good luck," Sadayo added.

"Bye," Kagome said hurriedly.

"Bye," the other two added as all three women hung up.

Kagome stood up as Inuyasha put his briefcase in his home office and walked into the kitchen, untying his tie.

"Hi Kagome," he said kissing her on the cheek and sitting down with a sigh. "Listen, don't worry about cooking any dinner tonight. I've ordered Chinese since I'm gonna be up late for this case in the morning." He placed his tie on the back of the kitchen chair. She turned to look at him as he deeply exhaled as his long white hair and famous white puppy ears returned and his claws reappeared. He always let down his concealing spell when he came home. He took a deep breath and inhaled the pleasant scent of his mate, seeing how it would always calm him down.

"What time is your case tomorrow?" she asked, standing behind him and massaging his shoulders.

He groaned at the thought. "It's at 9:45 but I have to go over everything tonight and make sure I leave nothing unturned. Plus I gotta make sure I don't soil the firm's reputation or the old man will have my head but I think we'll be okay. It's a pretty open-and-shut case."

"Oh Inuyasha, you'll be fine. I believe in you," she replied cheerfully. Tell him now, something inside of her said. She took a deep breath and agreed with herself. "Speaking of which, I had been meaning to tell you that you have another case coming up pretty soon."

"Oh yeah?" he said. "What's it about?"

"It's kind of hard to explain," she said with a smile. "But I found the piece of evidence that you need. Wait here." She left the room and came back a few moments later with the test in her hands and handed it to him.

"What in the world are you doing with a—" Inuyasha stopped and looked at Kagome. He sniffed the air and noticed an unusual scent. He stood up and grabbed Kagome gently by the arms as a worried look crossed her face. He put his hands on her waist and sniffed her lower belly. There, her usual sakura blossom and rain scent was mixed with his own musky aroma, proving that she was indeed carrying their first pup.

His honey eyes widened and looked at his beautiful mate. "You're carrying," he said softly.

She nodded tentatively at first simply because his expression hadn't changed. Suddenly her eyes widened when he picked her up and swung her around. When he gently set her back down on her feet he pulled her close to him and drew her into a passionate kiss.

"You're happy?" she asked in amazement when they finally broke apart for air.

Inuyasha stepped back from her and looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and a smile so wide you could drive an entire freeway on it. "You silly woman. Of course I'm happy!"

Kagome flew herself straight into his arms and she let the tears fall, softly weeping on his chest. "I was so scared that you wouldn't be."

Inuyasha gently pulled her away from him and hooked a clawed finger under her chin, forcing her to look directly into his honey-colored orbs. He kissed her tears away with gentle touches. "I couldn't be happier." She searched his eyes and saw nothing but complete sincerity and excitement and the two of them shared another passionate kiss.

Sadayo showered and washed her hair, dressing in her underwear and a black and white tank and matching thin black and white-striped cotton capri pants and white socks. She let her hair towel dry and it did so in thick waves down her back. Walking back into the kitchen she fixed herself a tunafish sandwich and added a few salt and vinegar potato chips on the side.

Sighing to herself, she turned the volume back up on the television. Opening the freezer she noticed that her pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream was a little low but shrugging it off she pulled out a spoon from the drawer and began to eat it. Sitting at the island, a smile was brought to her lips as she thought about Kagome and Inuyasha. Then she thought about her sister who was getting married pretty soon. _Why did my life have to take such a turn?_ she wondered. _Everyone seems to have their fairytale ending but me._

That's because you married one that was not your true mate. He also shall be revealed to you in time.

_Nani? Oh no, not you again. Are you gonna tell me who you are now or are you just going to leave me again?_

Everything will be revealed to you in time. Now is not the time.

_Well, can you at least tell me when I will know about myself?_

..:silence:…

_:growl: Why does this keep happening?_ Sadayo thought to herself for a minute. _Did I just growl again? Why do I keep doing this when I get mad or upset? What the hell is wrong with me? What am I?_

After awhile, Sadayo washed her few dishes and put them in her drying rack. After that she walked over, set the alarm and locked the door and turned out a few of the lights, sitting on the couch cuddling with the pillows for warmth, seeing how she couldn't exactly remember in which box she packed her blankets. She fell asleep watching the episodes and didn't turn the television off. When she woke up in the middle of the night her hair had spread out all across her face. Pushing it out of her eyes and face and noticing that the light of the screen was harsh she got up, turned the TV off and climbed into the bed and went to sleep.

The next morning she woke up a little behind schedule so she was in a rush. Hurriedly she checked the news and noticed that it was unusually cold that morning so she donned a black blazer, a white button down-shirt along with a black camisole underneath black pants, black heeled boots and found her black coat and black-and-white scarf. She put her cell phone in the side flap of her small pocketbook and locked the door.

On her way to work she stopped at the new coffee shop near the firm and bought three caramel frappuccinos with extra caramel and three banana nut muffins along with oatmeal raisin cookies. Since all of the attorneys were going to be in court with clients and cases today, Sadayo thought that they should have a treat. Paying the cashier and waiting for her food, she stood on the other side of the line for pickup. The door opened bringing in a blast of cold air as a tall man with a black trench coat and black suit and long black hair walked in.

He stepped up to the female cashier. "Grande white chocolate mocha latte." His sexy baritone voice caused the woman to slightly shiver from a slight arousal and he even flashed a small impish smirk. Her nametag read "Kyoko." Kyoko laughed nervously and when she turned around she almost knocked over the cart containing the ice. Her other female coworker looked at her strangely. Sadayo's keen hearing picked up Kyoko whispering "he's sexy" to her as the other girl took a glance at him and agreed.

He turned around and noticed Sadayo checking her watch and then a few moments later she received her bags and cup holders and she picked up her purse.

"There you go, sexy lady," the guy at the front said to Sadayo, giving her a sultry look and a wink that practically made her stomach turn. He wasn't all that attractive and his teeth were big and crooked, plus he smelled heavily of cigarette smoke on his breath, causing her stomach to churn and her nose to wrinkle slightly.

Her eyebrow raised in disgust and she laughed nervously.

Sadayo walked back towards the door and trying to juggle everything she dropped one bag onto the floor next to the man. He picked it up and looked at the cashier. "Can I get a big bag for the lady, please?"

The woman nodded and handed one to him. "Here you go, ma'am," he said, handing it to Sadayo in a silky baritone.

She looked up at him. His hair was black, long and wavy with thick bangs that covered his forehead and was pulled into a low ponytail, but it didn't look feminine. He had a devilish smile that could make any woman blush and his voice was enough to make a woman melt into a puddle on the floor as Kyoko practically did. His eyes were deep and held sort of a reddish-brown tint and his eyelashes were thick and black.

"Thanks for your help," she said with an appreciative smile. Finding her load was much easier to carry she walked out of the store and to her car, heading to work. As she left, the man turned toward her retreating form and couldn't help but notice the slight sway of her hips. She wasn't trying to be seductive, but it just naturally radiated from her and she was unaware of her hypnotic effect she had on men. _I damn sure hope I see her again,_ he thought. The cashier handed him his coffee as he turned around and walked out.

When Sadayo got to the firm she was juggling all of her belongings and pulled on the door to find it locked. "Great, how am I supposed to get in now?" She groaned aloud. "I've got too much stuff."

"If you will exercise a little patience, you will get in when I use the key to unlock the door," a baritone voice said from behind her.

She whirled around with her belongings in hand. "Sesshoumaru! I-I thought you weren't going to be here today," she said, with confusion clearly lacing her voice.

He said nothing and unlocked the door and walked through it, leaving her to come in of her own accord. She slung her purse over her arm and picked up her bags and entered the office. "Thanks for your help," she mumbled with a hint of ice lacing her voice.

Sesshoumaru turned around slightly and gave her a cold stare out of the corner of his eye from her sarcasm, but on the inside he was slightly surprised that she could sound almost like he could. She didn't catch it as she continued to struggle with her things, wondering how she even made it out the car with them.

She turned the lights on in her office and started her computer. Sadayo took her beverages into the break room and placed them into the refrigerator. She would tell Kagome and Sango when they arrived. Walking back out into the hallway she went to the time clock and punched in and then she walked into the bathroom.

Sadayo checked her makeup and put in her earrings and then washed her hands. As soon as she reached for the door handle, Sango flew into the room and ran into a stall. Sadayo's reflexes kept her from getting hit although, had it been two seconds later, she would have gotten a knot on her forehead.

"Jeez, woman! You almost killed me with the door!" Sadayo said, clutching her chest as a wave of shock passed through her.

"Gomen! Gotta go!" she said.

Sadayo shook her head as she walked out of the bathroom and back to her desk. Opening the desk drawer she pulled out her hand sanitizer and squeezed a little into her palm and rubbed her hands together. At the sound of feet becoming closer she looked up just as Sesshoumaru walked into her office and dropped a load of papers into her basket.

"I need these finished by this afternoon," he said turning on his heel to leave.

"There's no way I can have these finished by this afternoon!" she said, standing up, looking at him horrified. He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.

"This afternoon," was all he said.

She sighed and took a deep breath. "Fine. What time do you need these by?"

He turned slightly this time and looked at her from out of the corner of his eye. "This afternoon," came the reply as he disappeared from view without another word.

She scoffed and walked into the break room and grabbed her cookie, muffin and frappuccino, the whipped cream having lost its shape by then and walked back into her office and stared angrily at the never-ending pile of work that sat in her basket.

"How in the world am I going to get through all of this?" she said aloud. After taking a deep breath and cracking her knuckles, she took a sip of her coffee drink and began her first document. "I have no choice but to just start at square one and go from there."

After awhile, Sadayo just continued to type and type, getting that frequent itch to check the time to see how far she had gone into the work day. _I will not look at the clock_, she vowed to herself as she continued to tap at the keys, her fingers beginning to hurt after typing which what had to have been at least her twentieth one.

Apparently, Sango and Kagome had been left loads of work themselves because there had been no interaction between any of the three women so far today.

Looking up at the clock after typing for much longer without a break, she noticed that she was well past her lunch hour. She walked out of her office door and almost bumped into Kagome.

"Oops, sorry," they both said at the same time.

Sadayo leaned down to talk to Kagome's stomach. "Hi there, little one. This is Auntie Sada!"

Kagome laughed and playfully rolled her eyes. "The baby hasn't even begun to move yet and you're already talking to it. Inuyasha was talking to my stomach last night after I told him I was pregnant."

"Well, I can't help myself," Sadayo said with a shrug and a smile. "I like being around pregnant women. It's exciting to hear about another life coming into the world."

"Are you going to the doctor soon?" Sango spoke up as she returned from the bathroom, hearing the conversation of the women from around the corner.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah I go next Thursday. I'll have to take an early lunch 'cause it's at 11:00 in the morning. I just have to have an ultrasound and a checkup."

"They're also gonna do another pregnancy test just to make sure," Sadayo said, "but I know you're pregnant."

"I know I am too," Kagome agreed. All of a sudden, a sickly shade of green crossed her features. "See?" she said, her hand flying to her mouth and running for the bathroom.

The two watched her run and they shook her head in sympathy. "I would hate the nausea part of being pregnant," Sango said.

"Yeah, me too," Sadayo agreed. "But I don't even know if I want to have kids anyway. I did once but now I think it's not going to happen, but I don't think I need to have kids."

Sango scoffed and dismissed her friend's comment. "Oh, Sadayo, stop throwing a pity party for yourself. You need to get back out there, and you will find another guy and you probably will have kids. From what I heard about your ex, he was nothing but a pile of you-know-what."

Sadayo chuckled in agreement. "Yes, he was, but he didn't start out that way. He just changed once he became a very famous doctor. But anyway, moving on. Let me get back to work. I've still got a lot left."

"Okay," Sango said. Sadayo turned and went back into her office.

She glanced at the clock after she cracked her knuckles from exhaustion. By this time she had already worked completely through her lunch hour and the clock now read 2:00 pm. Sighing with exasperation, she slid back from her desk and stood up and turned around to stretch. Drawing her left arm across her chest she pulled in order to release the knots from sitting in her chair for so long. Hearing a small pop, she smiled in contentment when she did the same with her other arm.

_Two and a half hours left_, she thought. A hiss of pain etched across her lips as she felt a strong pang hit the front of her skull. Her head was hurting a lot and stood up, reasoning that it was because she had been staring at the computer screen for too long. She looked out of the window and saw the many couples walking down the street even though it was around the middle of the day. As she leaned on the pane, her honeyed eyes took in one particular couple. She was short with long brown hair and was with a taller man with short and spiky hair, which instantly reminded her of her ex. Her vision picked up on how they walked, never failing in their stride as their hands locked with their fingers doing the same. She rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk down the street, turning to face each other in a kiss.

She sighed in both remembrance and a slight whisper of remorse. Her ex-husband and she were exactly the same way in the beginning of their lives.

Flashback

They walked in a park, her head on his shoulder and their arms around each other's waists. It was springtime so the temperature was warm enough for a light jacket and a cool, gentle breeze here and there. The breeze blew her long hair just enough to have it frame her face and a few locks drape across her neck. He looked over at her and then noticed the sunlight reflecting off of her amber orbs, making them seem all the more brighter. One thing that attracted him to her was not only her natural beauty but her eyes played up her emotions and her beauty all the more.

As they slowly walked they soon approached a bench and he gently stopped in their stride. "Sada-chan," Takahari said gently. "Sit down for a minute. We need to talk."

Picking up her head from his shoulder, she looked at him and noticed a slight twinkle in his eye. She narrowed her eyes with a smile, looking at him with suspicion. "What are you up to?"

"Just sit down will you?" he pleaded with a small smile. She obliged and sat down, he sitting along with her.

He locked eyes with her and took her hands in his. "Do you love me?"

She looked at him, slightly surprised that he would even ask such a question. "Yes Taka-kun, you know I love you."

"Well, you know how long we have been dating and we will be graduating in two weeks…" he trailed off.

_How dare he ask me if I love him and then he brings this up? Is he going to break up with me?_ she thought in shock. "What about it? Are you saying you want to break up with me?" she asked with horror flashing in her eyes.

"Not at all," he said with a reassuring smile as he put one hand over hers. "I'm actually saying just the opposite." He got up from the bench and got down on his knee. "Sadayo Atami, I love you very much and I would like to know if you are available for spending the rest of your life with me?"

She searched his eyes looking for the slightest bit of doubt in them and saw nothing but love. She gave a slight laugh in surprise. "Are you serious?" she asked, with her hand pressed to her heart.

He nodded. "I am very serious," he replied softly. "Will you marry me, Sadayo?"

Sadayo's head bowed, with her bangs covering her eyes. When she looked at him, he saw them fill with tears and one escaped her and trailed down her cheek. "Yes," she said softly, and her voice gently cracked. "Yes, I will marry you."

A genuine smile crossed his features as he stood up and pulled her up with him and he covered her lips with his own in a gentle kiss. She felt his lips break open and his tongue touch her own lips, asking for entrance. Smiling against his lips, she opened her mouth wider and his tongue pushed forward, touching her own. Their tongues wrestled with each other for a moment and then they broke apart for air, especially before it got a little too heated.

They smiled at each other and shared a small kiss. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said with a sheepish smile. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small midnight blue velvet box.

When he opened it, she gasped at the ring inside. In white gold stood a one-carat diamond solitaire in a princess-cut setting. He took it out and placed the ring on her finger, resting it at the base.

"My goodness, Taka-kun," she said. "It's beautiful." She stared at it and twisted her wrist to let the ring glisten in the afternoon sun. When she looked at it she could see all of the different colors the sun reflected in the stone.

He hooked his left index finger under her chin and turned her upwards to look at him. "Not half as beautiful as you are, my love," he said gently and captured her in another kiss.

End Flashback

Sadayo was lost to her thoughts until a voice broke them.

"Earth to Sadayo! Hello?"

She shook her head and found Inuyasha standing there, waving his hand across her face. "Huh?" she asked as she looked at him confused.

"I've been calling your name for the last two minutes and you never said a word," Inuyasha replied looking at her curiously.

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly. When a thought crossed her mind her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing here? I thought you would be in court all day."

"I was able to finish a lot earlier than planned. The jury already gave the verdict and whatnot and besides, I wanted to know if you wanted anything to eat. We brought back some food for you since Kagome and Sango told me that you didn't take your lunch break."

"Oh no, I'm fine, thanks," she said gratefully. With a heavy sigh, she walked over to her swiveling chair and sat down in a slight huff.

_Was she just crying a few minutes ago? _He wondered. Inuyasha shrugged at her and then he studied her face. There was a small trail of a tear that had made its way down her porcelain cheek but it had dried and apparently she hadn't even noticed. When he sniffed the air on his next breath he found that there was a slight aroma of salt.

"Sadayo, are you okay?" he asked, looking at her critically.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" she asked quickly, flashing a small smile. His keen hearing heard her heartbeat increase. Her smile was undeniably false and it lacked her usual luster. Something was definitely wrong.

Inuyasha put both hands on his desk and looked at her critically. "What's wrong? I can read you like a book. What happened to you or made you upset?"

It is almost as if his dark golden eyes could seep into her soul. They had been really good friends since college and there were quite a few times that even though she was a tough cookie to crack, usually her heart was worn on her sleeve, and those were the times she hated. Sadayo didn't really prefer to show her negative emotions. Her head bowed and her bangs covered her eyes.

"It's a woman thing, Inuyasha. You wouldn't really understand," she said in a hushed tone while not looking at him.

"Try me," he said just as gently as he sat down on the corner of her desk.

She turned her head again and looked out of the window, once again not looking at him. "I saw a young couple walking in the park and it reminded me of Takahari and me when we first started dating, and it reminded me of how he proposed. I said it. There, are you happy now?" Standing up, she walked over to the window and stared out of it once again, her eyes somehow catching the loving embrace of that very same couple. It was almost as if their actions were the same as hers just only a few years ago. Her hands rested on the window pane as she bent her head over with her bangs still covering her eyes. His ears twitched and he heard her as she sobbed quietly. Tears poured out of her eyes and down her cheeks and the front of her chin as they splattered onto the white paint below her.

Sadayo's knees buckled and she slid down onto the floor practically in a heap with her knees pulled up into her chest and she cried silently into her arms. Inuyasha shook his head in sympathy. He got down onto the floor with her and brought her to his chest, letting her cry. For a few minutes he stroked her back and hair and gently rocked back and forth. After a few moments, her cries subsided to hiccups and she began to laugh.

"Damn it," she said as she looked up at him and wiping her eyes. "I swore (hiccup) that I wasn't going to ever cry (hiccup) in front of you again. I guess I was wrong (hiccup)."

Inuyasha smirked. "Keh! Girl, you know I can break you down like a fraction."

She laughed again. "You're right."

He gathered her into a hug and rubbed her back. Inuyasha then gently pulled her away from him and hooked a finger under her chin. Pulling her upward to face him, he smiled as her honeyed orbs reflected his. "I can't stand to see a woman cry, especially Kagome." He rolled his eyes at the thought of the women that affect him. "Love will find you again and he could be right around the corner."

She kissed Inuyasha on the cheek. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I feel a lot better now."

"Maybe you need to eat too," he said. "I know how you get those really bad headaches if you don't eat anything for awhile."

She thought for a minute and then held her hand to her head. "Yeah, I did have a headache earlier and I think crying made it worse," she replied with a laugh and then looked down at his shirt, which was covered in tear stains. "Oh, I'm sorry I made such a mess on your shirt."

"Ah, don't worry about it," he said waving it off. Inuyasha looked at the clock. "It's three now. I'll make you a plate." He touched her shoulder reassuringly and left her office.

Sadayo sighed and sat back down. After cracking her knuckles, she found that she was almost finished with her work until she looked at her stapler and she was out.

Getting up from her desk, she walked over to Sango's office. "Sango, do you have any staples left over? Mine is out from all these doggone documents Sesshoumaru left me and I don't think I have anymore in my desk."

Sango chuckled. "How's it coming?"

"Better than I thought actually," she replied. "I've got only a couple more to go before I am completely finished with this. I probably only got this far because I worked through lunch."

Sango looked around on her desk for the staples and she found none.

"Do you even have any more?" Sadayo asked. "I guess I should go to the storage room for some."

"No, no you don't have to go in the room. I do have some extra staples, but somewhere in all of this mess." Opening a drawer, she pulled out a small box and handed it to her. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said gratefully as she took the box from her.

"Thanks for the treat this morning by the way," Sango added.

"You're welcome," came the reply. She looked at her friend and Sadayo noticed that something was a little off about Sango this afternoon. "Hey, Sango, are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Sango replied half-heartedly.

"Now you know I don't believe that for a second," Sadayo responded with a hand on her hip. "What's going on?"

Sango motioned to the other chair. "Remember I told you about my boyfriend Miroku?" she asked as she still continued to type.

"Yeah? What happened with you two?" she said as she leaned in the doorframe and then moved to sit down, catching her gesture.

"Last night we went out to dinner and he was eyeing other women again," she said with a sigh. "The waitress walked past our table and his eyes followed her."

Sadayo shook her head in a smile. "Well, he could be doing that just to make sure that you are paying attention to him."

"Oh, believe me, I am paying attention to him," she said with a scoff. "He knows I don't like it, but he does it anyway."

"How long have you guys been dating?" she asked, sitting down.

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "For forever," she said rubbing her temples.

Sadayo chuckled. "Well, maybe he is just a flaming hetero."

She thought for a minute with her head resting on her fist and then the most wicked smile one had ever seen crossed her features. "You've got that right," Sango said with a devilish grin.

Sadayo looked at her with horrified eyes and a hand pressed over her heart, gesturing as though she were going to vomit. "Eww," she said. "You two are nasty."

"And we are quite proud of it," Sango replied. With that, Sadayo motioned as though she were going to throw up and Sango laughed at her as Sadayo left her office, shuddering and trying to rid her mind of the creeping images of Sango and Miroku in intimate moments.

Sango shook her head at her friend and sighed. Even though she never really spoke on it out loud in a heart-to-heart talk, Sango could tell that Sadayo was lonely. It was almost like Sadayo was trying to make sure that everyone else was happy and she not even really taking the time out to achieve her own happiness. Even though she had only known Sadayo for a short time, the friend quality was already embedded in her: she put the needs of others ahead of her own. As she stared at her computer screen she silently said a prayer for her friend and hoped that she would fall in love with someone, and that it would happen very soon.

_**Let me apologize to my readers. I was having a lot of trouble with the site and couldn't figure out how to add new chapters to it. Please bear with me. I am still working on this story and I thank those who were waiting. Forgive me also for the changing format because there will be a few changes but not too many. Domo arigato!! Reviews are welcome!! Please?? **_


	3. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Hey everyone! I just noticed that I had forgotten to put a disclaimer on the previous chapter before I uploaded it. So, before anyone can sue me I remedied the situation. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This covers this chapter and the previous one: Don't own, but would like to.

When Sadayo walked back into her office, she looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing there waiting for her, picking at her pile of work. Something washed over her, and she had an inkling that she wasn't going to like what Sesshoumaru was about to say.

"I thought you were in court," she said flatly. Moving to her desk, she leaned her left hip on it and smoothly added more staples into the top chamber.

He looked at her as a flash of anger came across his eyes. "Did I not say that I needed all of this finished by the afternoon?"

She snapped the stapler shut with a flick of the wrist and coolly put it down on her desk. "Yes, you did say that and if you look at the other basket, the majority of your documents are finished and I am working on the last three. Plus, you did not even give me a time."

"I clearly stressed the importance of having all of this done by this afternoon," he said with a hint of annoyance, "and I find this to be unacceptable."

"And I find you to be completely unreasonable," she said with a hint of disdain as she stepped around her desk and looked at him clear in the eyes. "It's not even four o' clock yet and I am almost finished with the work you left for me to do, and then you get upset at me for not having all of it done? Did you even hear me say that _you_ did not even say at what exact time you needed all of this to be finished with?"

Sesshoumaru kept eye contact with her, not faltering in contact, but she not faltering either. "If you cannot handle the amount of work that needs to be done here at this firm, then I strongly suggest that you find another place of employment," he said. "If you do not like it, then there is the door."

She swayed slightly on her feet and her eyes slightly rolled back into her head but quickly she regained her composure, grabbing onto the side of her desk, but not before Sesshoumaru had time to notice. Her arm trembled as she tried to maintain her grip, obviously showing how weak she was becoming. _Weak half-demon,_ Sesshoumaru thought.

Her head snapped back to attention with his eyes. A huge flash of anger swept through her amber orbs and he could have sworn that her eyes turned pink. "If you are that pressed over me having three documents left to finish then I will do you a courtesy and quit!" Sadayo furiously said, moving from behind her desk to walk out of her office.

"Do what you think is necessary," he said as she slowly walked past him until she stopped in the doorway, hanging onto the frame. With one hand to her head and a small hiss, she swayed once more and then fell backwards. In a flash, Sesshomaru picked up her unconscious form right before her body hit the floor but the sudden rush of speed knocked him off-balance and he ended up landing on the floor with her in his arms.

At the noise, Inuyasha came back running into the room with a plate in his hands. He growled at the sight of Sadayo in Sesshoumaru's arms and put the plate on her desk. "What did you do to her?" he demanded to know.

"You have no right to question me," his older brother answered.

Inuyasha scoffed. "You are a real piece of work, you know that?" he said with a hint of disdain as he motioned for Sesshoumaru to hand him Sadayo, which Sesshoumaru noticed, but did not do so. "When did she pass out?"

"Just now," he responded. He stared down at her face. She seemed to be peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping. His sharp hearing picked up her heartbeat which was normal. _Is she sleeping or is she unconscious? I can't tell. _

"Did you make her upset?"

A flash of guilt crossed his eyes, and Inuyasha didn't notice it because his face kept his passive visage. "I simply told her that if she could not handle the workload then she should find another place of employment."

Inuyasha scoffed once more. "You have absolutely no clue," he said with disgust.

He sighed, something that he rarely ever does. "If I have no idea of what you mean then tell me what I am lacking in information Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said in a bored tone. A headache was beginning to form right between his eyes and it was annoying him.

A small grunt with a smile was the response as he shook his head at his older brother. "Sadayo is different than most half-demons we know. As she grew up she believed that she should suppress her negative emotions so no one would see her as weak and that is what she does. When she is overwhelmed by emotions or external stress, it takes a toll on her body and she passes out, but for how long I don't know."

"How did you come to acquire all of this knowledge?" he asked, still holding the unconscious Sadayo in his arms. Somewhere in his cage, his beast was howling at him, begging Sesshoumaru to hold her for a little bit longer. He and his beast absolutely did not want to give her up, although Sesshoumaru didn't want to admit it.

"Father told me this about a couple of weeks ago because she told him what happened to her during her divorce settlement. Certain amounts of stress take its toll on her human side, and then her demon side sometimes intensifies it. Plus, I can tell she was under stress because the only thing she had today was some of that coffee." He gestured to the desk and Sesshoumaru turned his head to see that on the end of her desk sat the half-drank coffee, untouched muffin and cookie. "When she doesn't eat for the whole day it makes her condition worse."

A pang hit Sesshoumaru's chest and though he tried to ignore it, he couldn't help but feel bad for putting her through so much stress, especially now that he knew something more so intimate about her, but he knew he couldn't lose face in front of his brother. "I will lay her on the couch in my office and there she will remain until she awakens," he said with his head held high and his eyes and face set accompanied by an emotionless demeanor.

_Same old uncaring selfish bastard, I see. _"I will inform the old man of what happened," Inuyasha said.

Sesshoumaru stood up with Sadayo and walked down the hall to his office. Kagome walked into the hall just as Sesshoumaru disappeared and Inuyasha appeared in the hallway also.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with Sadayo?" Kagome asked frantically. "Why is Sesshoumaru carrying her? Why isn't she moving? What happened to her?"

"She's gonna be okay, Kagome," Inuyasha said, gently grabbing her arms. "Please calm down. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby if you get seriously upset."

"Well, can you tell me what happened so that I can calm down?"

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she passed out."

Kagome put a hand on her hip. "How could that have happened?"

"Let's just say that there was a significant stress factor, it took its toll on her, and there you have it," Inuyasha replied.

Raising an eyebrow and a knowing smile, Kagome chuckled and shook her head as the pieces fell into place. "It was Sesshoumaru, wasn't it?"

"Got it in one," he answered her. After a moment he took her gently by the arm he pulled Kagome into his own office, motioning for her to follow. "Even though he may act the way he does I think he's starting to feel something for her," he said.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and looked at him. "And you're sure of this how? Sesshoumaru doesn't have any feelings for anyone but himself…Hell, if that's even possible."

"Well, think of this: remember a few weeks ago when everyone went to lunch but Sada-chan?"

Kagome nodded and gestured for him to continue. "So what does that have anything to do with where you are going with this?"

"She fell from the stool in the break room and he caught her. But when I found him in his office, her scent was all over him. It had even lingered long after he had put her down. Also, even today, I gestured a few times for him to give her to me after she fell over, and he didn't."

Kagome's eyes widened. "That may be true Inuyasha, but you know how Sesshoumaru is. He wouldn't admit his feelings to her, and you know how he feels about humans and half-demons."

"But he feels a lot more different than he did about you now that we married," he said knowingly.

She thought for a moment. "True, but don't expect anything to happen overnight. I have a feeling that with the both of them, this is going to take a little bit of time. Both of them can be quite stubborn."

He nodded. "Call me crazy, but I think these two are a match. How much time do you think this will take for the two of them to get together?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno, Inuyasha. But let's let nature take its course."

Inuyasha sat down at his desk and picked up the phone and dialed. He waited a few rings until his father picked up. "Father?"

"Yes, Inuyasha what is the matter?" InuTaisho calmly asked.

"We had sort of a situation in the office today," he said slowly.

His father stopped on the street as a cold, nervous feeling washed over him. "What is wrong? Is everyone alright?"

"Well, everyone is fine except for Sadayo. She has passed out," he replied.

"When did this happen?"

"A few minutes ago."

"Is she doing alright?" InuTaisho asked.

"Yeah, she's fine. She looks like she is sleeping and there is nothing major really to report. I just wanted to let you know what had happened so that just in case you came back to the office you wouldn't be shocked."

"Well, in actuality Inuyasha, I am on my way back to the office for a little bit. I will arrive there momentarily."

"Alright, Father, I will see you then," he replied.

The two said their goodbyes and hung up their phones. "What did he say?" Kagome asked.

"He's on his way here," Inuyasha answered.

Kagome shrugged. "I hope everything works out okay." She then winced. "You know how much I really hate fighting and yelling."

"I know," Inuyasha said, "but I think that it's gonna be fine."

Kagome shrugged once more and then left the room.

Sesshoumaru laid Sadayo on the black suede couch in his office on her side and he sat at his desk to try to get some work done. Just like when he had that dream and when he first saw her he attempted to do more work but his efforts were in vain because he just couldn't help glancing over at her peaceful-looking form. A black lock of hair fell onto her face and her bangs stalked down over her forehead, stopping right above her eyebrows. A light dusting of silver eyeshadow graced her big eyelids as her fan of thick eyelashes touched her porcelain skin. Her slim nose only drew his attention further south to her full pink lips that were parted slightly. Through the light gloss that were on her lips, he could definitely tell how plump and soft they were. He could feel his beast raging around in his cage because he was dying to taste them, suckling them under his own. For once, Sesshoumaru was practically in agreement with his other half. There was a desire in him to just take her in his arms and kiss her until she melted, but he was not so low as to steal a kiss from an unconscious woman. After all, he was the son of a great demon; it would be beneath him to act in such a manner.

His concentration on his work only slipped further away as he looked even farther down her delicious form. The voluptuous bosom she was thankfully blessed with had not moved at all since she passed out, but his keen hearing heard her strong heartbeat so she was doing just fine. Her stomach was flat, but he could tell that she at least kept herself in shape. Those golden orbs of his looked toward her hips, and they were absolutely perfect, not overtly large, but just right and right for bearing heirs. Her thighs and calves were slender and even through her pant legs he could tell that they were toned. Lastly he arrived at her feet, which were perfect in size and the cut of her boot definitely made her feet look even smaller.

Finally, he painfully tore himself away from looking at her tranquil form to turn back to his computer screen just as a knock sounded at the door. Sesshoumaru took a small sniff and knew who was on the other side of the door. _Father_, he thought.

"Come in," he said with a bored tone.

The door opened and his father entered the room with his long black trench coat and silver scarf and a black briefcase. His hair swung around in his low ponytail as he looked over to Sadayo laying peacefully on the couch in front of him. "How is she doing? Is she alright?" he asked out of concern as he bent down on the carpet, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"She's fine," Sesshoumaru responded blankly as he rested his head on his chin and brushed back a few strands from his cheek, still continuing to stare at the computer screen. "If you listen closely, her heartbeat is normal."

InuTaisho gave a small scoff as he pushed his ponytail to the rear of him. "You're the reason why she's like this, or so I've been told."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed in remembrance. Another pang of guilt hit him in the chest like a ton of bricks and he ignored it, or so he thought. "Father, I already know the story. You do not have to browbeat me with it."

He stood to his full height, once more looking at Sadayo. "This woman has already been through too much in her life and she does not need additional stressors coming from you. I would advise you to lighten up on your harsh treatment of her. She is a great employee and I do not want to see her leave this firm."

Sesshoumaru looked at his father and rose from his chair to his own height, which stood only a few inches shorter. "You speak of her as though she is your own. You pay her to be my assistant and then you tell me to treat her with special care? What would be the purpose of keeping her here if she is doing nothing?"

His father stepped closer to him and looked him square in the eyes. "I speak of her as if she is my own because she hasn't had a father figure in her life for the majority of it. I am also defending her because I know how delicate her condition is."

A smile then crossed his father's lips. "She also is unaware that she is a half-demon so imagine your life as if a piece of your puzzle were missing. I am trying to help her understand and know who she is. I will do this with or without your help."

Sesshoumaru stood his ground and looked at his father with a hint of disapproval. "You have gone soft even on half-demons, not to mention humans and for the life of me I cannot understand why."

The smile faded into a smirk. "Because I had someone to protect." With that, his father picked up his briefcase, turned on his heel and left his son's office, not giving him a second look.

He sat back down not after his father left. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get his father's words out of his mind. InuTaisho has said the same words to him before, the night centuries ago when he rescued Izayoi and Inuyasha but it was as if there was another hidden meaning beneath them. A few moments later he tried again to work a little more until another knock sounded at his door. "Come in," he called in an annoyed tone.

The door opened with Kagome entering the room with a plate. "Your father told me to bring you this," she said as she put it on an empty corner of his desk.

He gave her a small nod in approval and then picked up a pen to apply his signature to a few files.

She looked over to her friend lying on the couch and noticed that she remained motionless. Picking up her arm from the floor and placing it on her stomach she asked, "Is she alright?"

"She is fine," he replied as he got up to get a book from his shelf, not looking at her, and flipping through the pages. "You needn't be so concerned and she is a grown woman. Just leave her be."

Kagome scoffed and then shook her head and looked at him. She couldn't believe how nonchalant he was being over the whole situation. Clearly he had overstressed her and it took its physical toll on her body, and he didn't even care. "Whatever, Sesshoumaru." She stood up and turned away to leave.

He heard the annoyance and sadness in her voice. "What do you mean by that, Kagome?" he said in a slightly interested tone as he looked at his book, flipping through the pages.

She turned back around and looked at him again. "Nothing, Sesshoumaru. Forget about it." Under her breath Kagome muttered, "I hope she is alright seeing how it is his fault she's like this" and Sesshoumaru definitely heard it. She turned around and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.

Sesshoumaru walked back to his desk and sat down with the book as he picked up a fork and ate a little bit of the chicken that was left on his plate. As time passed, he noticed that Sadayo had not awakened or even moved from that same position that he laid her in.

Outside of his office, Sango had put her coat on and was gathering her things to leave until InuTaisho walked past her. "Mr. Taisho, Sadayo still hasn't woken up yet, has she?"

A concerned shrug crossed his features and he sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately, no Sango, she hasn't. I'm sure she will be fine. If there are any drastic changes, I will be sure to let you know."

"Thank you," Sango genuinely said as she buttoned her coat. Kagome walked past her and she grabbed her arm.

"Hey Kagome, do you know where Sadayo lives?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "Nope. I have absolutely no clue where. I know of where she used to live but I have no idea of where she moved to."

"Oh," Sango said as her shoulders slightly dropped. "I was going to take her some food but no one knows where she lives now."

"Well, I think my father knows where she lives, but he won't tell me," Inuyasha spoke up.

Kagome and Sango shrugged. "See you guys later, and call me if you know anything about Sadayo," Sango

The other two agreed and Sango left the firm for the day, heading to the garage.

Back inside of Sesshoumaru's office, he looked over at her once again after forking a small bite of salad into his mouth. She still hadn't moved until he noticed that her eyelids were slightly beginning to flutter. He looked at her again after hearing a sharp intake and she moved. Once again her eyelids fluttered and then they slowly opened.

He quickly turned his attention back to his screen before she could catch him watching her.

She groaned as her eyes rolled to the front. "Where am I?" she asked in a small, hushed voice.

"You are in my office," Sesshoumaru said blankly, clicking open a word-processing program on his computer screen.

She remained silent for a moment, letting the answer wash over her. "What am I doing in here?" came the surprised question, Sadayo still trying to get her surroundings together. She gently swung her legs around off of the couch. Putting her head in her hands, she hissed in pain as a feeling of lightheadedness swept through her.

"You passed out a little over three hours ago," he replied, making more notes on the sheet of paper he was writing on, not looking at her, "and put your head between your knees so that you do not pass out again." He mainly felt bad because he knew that he was the reason that she had passed out but he kept up his nonchalant visage.

She opened her mouth to say something but then she closed it. "Now I remember," she said quietly with a scoff. "You're such a jerk." The second statement was said just as quietly as the first.

Sesshoumaru said nothing to her comment and continued on in his work as if she had said nothing at all. _Did I really expect an apology from him_, she questioned herself. Getting up from the couch with a scoff, staggering, she made her way towards the door slowly, still holding her hand to her head. When her hand touched the doorknob Sesshoumaru then spoke.

"Sadayo…since you passed out…I still expect you to get your work finished if you are present in the office tomorrow," he said.

She stopped, holding back a gasp and then turned slightly, one of her amber orbs sliding around to the corner of her eye. He didn't even look at her, as if he had never said anything to her at all. For a second her hand began to twitch as if she wanted to run her hand through his throat and rip out his windpipe. Saying nothing and opening the door she walked out and gently closed the door behind her. Sesshoumaru let out a groan. His pride wouldn't let him look at her and for that he could feel his beast nagging at him.

**You have hurt our mate! What is wrong with you? You must protect her! **_**You must protect her!**_

_She is not ours to protect seeing how she is not our mate. Why can't you understand that?_

**We are tired of you denying the truth. **

_I am tired of you bothering me concerning her._

**She will be ours! In the end, she will be ours!**

Sadayo leaned against the door trying to get the rest of her balance together. InuTaisho came walking by just as she began to move towards her office.

"Sadayo! You have awakened," he said in happiness.

A weak smile crossed her features. "Yeah," she said.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her as he got a closer look at her. Her porcelain skin seemed to be so pale that she looked to be snow white and her eyes seemed tired and practically were bloodshot, like she had been drinking very heavily.

"Fine," she replied.

He shook his head. "No, you do not look fine." Looking at his watch he noticed that it was near fifteen minutes to six. "It is well past the time for you to have taken your leave for the day anyway. I will take you home."

She shook her head. "There is no need of you to do so. I am fine," she weakly responded as she swayed on her feet once more. InuTaisho caught her just as she slipped into unconsciousness once again.

Sesshoumaru stood up and opened the door to see his father holding Sadayo in his arms. "She has passed out again," he stated.

InuTaisho nodded gently adjusting her in his arms. "We will take her home. Sesshoumaru she will be with you, and I will drive her car back to her apartment because I don't want her car to stay here in the garage overnight."

He nodded in reluctant agreement. With a sigh he turned aside in the door while his father stepped through and laid Sadayo back down onto the couch again in his office. When his father left he began to shut everything down and he packed the necessary files into his briefcase. Looking out of the window the sky had turned an even weirder gray color and he could hear and see that the wind had picked up a little.

Inuyasha walked into his father's office as he began to also shut everything down for the night. "I thought Sadayo had woken up and I just went into her office and she wasn't there. Did she leave already?"

InuTaisho shook his head at his youngest son as he snapped his briefcase shut. "She did wake up a few moments ago but she passed out again. Sesshoumaru and I will take her home. You just make sure that you take care of Kagome and the pup."

His eyes widened at first but then narrowed. "You smelled it before I even told you," Inuyasha smirked.

His father gave a small smirk of his own. "Believe it or not, I smelled the pup a few weeks ago. I just never said anything about it. Remember my nose is stronger than yours. Congratulations."

"I know, I know," Inuyasha answered, throwing a hand in the air as a serious look crossed his face. "Father, you just make sure that you take care of Sada. She is like the little sister I never had."

"Trust me," his father said, "I most definitely will."

"Good night Father," Inuyasha said as he left the room.

"Good night son," InuTaisho replied.

Sesshoumaru grabbed his coat from behind the door and buttoned it. A few moments later, InuTaisho came back into the room. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. InuTaisho moved to pick up Sadayo and a slight growl was heard in the room but it didn't come from InuTaisho. Sesshoumaru cursed himself under his breath because of the growl that had unconsciously escaped from his throat. His father paused from gathering her into his arms. "Are you alright, Sesshoumaru?"

"I'm fine," came the quick reply as he turned his head away, slightly gnashing his teeth at his carelessness. _Damn it, where did that come from?_

His father picked up Sadayo and smiled, with his back to his son. _That was a protective growl,_ he thought to himself with another smile, but internally.

Sesshoumaru walked into Sadayo's office, saved her last file and shut down everything of hers and left the documents that she had finished in the basket. Inhaling her scent all over the room, he picked up her coat, scarf and purse and relinquished in it as it invaded his nostrils, the scent of sweet pea and violets. He dug around in her coat pocket to grab her car keys and turned off the lights.

Reaching the underground garage, he pushed the button on his keypad on the Lexus he drove in for his father to lay her down on the backseat.

InuTaisho covered Sadayo with her own coat and placed her purse on the floor. "Where are her keys, Sesshoumaru?"

Wordlessly, Sesshoumaru held them up and he tossed them to his father. His father pushed the button on her keypad and the lights flashed and upon climbing into the driver's side of the vehicle he started the motor.

Sesshoumaru started the engine in his own vehicle and waited for his father to lead the way. Leaning his head back on the headrest, he let out a sigh as the air blew his bangs up in frustration. _How did I end up being so involved with this woman? Other employees we have had are so separate from us, so uninvolved. Why am I even doing this?_

A horn sounding to the rear of him broke him from his thoughts as he shifted into gear. He glanced up to see his father behind him, waiting. His father then pulled away and Sesshoumaru followed.

After about a forty-minute drive including the traffic, InuTaisho pulled into Sadayo's apartment complex. The sign out front read Asano Towers. The building was fairly tall in height, seeming to have about fifteen stories. As far as architecture goes, it was a nice-looking building for it being a complex right outside of the city, suitable for those of the middle-class earnings. For one, Sesshoumaru knew how much of an alimony she received in her divorce settlement so he wondered why she even moved into a smaller dwelling than what she had before. He mentally shrugged and backed into a parking space.

When Sesshoumaru turned off his motor, he looked behind him to see that Sadayo had not moved yet again. A slight wave of concern passed through him as he got out of the car to gather Sadayo into his arms. Even through his coat, her body heat warmed him from head to toe and he almost felt reluctant to put her down. His father reached into the backseat to grab her belongings.

"Ready?" InuTaisho asked, coming up behind Sesshoumaru. He nodded in response as they headed up the stairs.

When they walked into the lobby, the doorman was fast asleep in his chair and the sleeping security guard had his mouth agape and was snoring with a half-eaten donut in his left hand.

"Lovely security," InuTaisho said. He already knew where she lived so accessing her information from him was pretty pointless. Moving her keys around in his hand, he located the key that was to her door. Upon opening the door, he heard the alarm beep once. Fortunately, she didn't set it before she left.

Moving his way around the boxes she still had left to unpack, Sesshoumaru made his way over to the couch and gently laid her down on it. Looking at her closely, he saw her chest rising and falling very slightly, but it was enough that his sharp vision could see it. Her left arm was draped across her abdomen and her right arm was touching the floor, her long, delicate fingers gracefully contacting the carpet.

Mentally shaking his head, he walked out of the apartment into the hallway as his father scribbled a note on the notepad she kept on the counter. InuTaisho continued to write until he heard a slight groan.

Looking over to the couch, Sadayo began to stir. Her left hand draped itself across her head as she stretched and then fell off of the couch. Landing with an 'oomph,' she looked around in shock to discover where she was.

"How in the world did I get back home?" she asked from the carpet. An amused chuckle brought her head up as InuTaisho smiled at her antics.

"Toshihiro!" she exclaimed with a surprise. "How did I get here? The last thing I remember is passing out again."

"You did," he replied, "Sesshoumaru and I brought you home." He looked around and found Sesshoumaru to not be in the room. "Well, he was here a second ago."

"Oh," Sadayo replied and then a thought crossed her mind. "Uh, would you mind driving me back to the firm? My car is still there."

"It's been taken care of," he answered her to calm her down. "I drove your car here and it is parked in the few front spaces."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, sir."

He leaned against the island and looked at her clearly in the eye. "Now concerning your health…"

"My health is fine sir," Sadayo said with a hint of worry in her voice. _Is he going to fire me?_

InuTaisho held up his hand to stop her. "I was going to say that if you feel well enough to come to work tomorrow, I implore you to take a half-day. Either you come in the morning and stay till noon or you come in at noon and stay until your regular leave. But you will not work the entire day tomorrow."

She hung her head in defeat. "Yes…father," she said in a mock teasing tone.

He gently pushed himself from the island and chuckled at the tone of her voice. Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted her to look at him. "It's only because I care so much and I know what you have been through."

She smiled genuinely at him. "I understand."

He turned to leave and then turned back around to face her. "Make sure you eat and get plenty of rest. I wrote my cell phone number down on the notepad over there. If you do not feel well enough to work at all tomorrow, then please give me a call."

"I will, and thank you for bringing me home," Sadayo said.

Bringing her into a small hug, he kissed the top of her head. "Have a good night Sadayo," he said as he opened the door to leave.

"Good night to you too, sir," she said walking behind him. When he left, she softly closed the door behind him. _I am glad that he did not release me from my employment. I hate having people worry about me._ Sighing to herself, she walked into the kitchen to fix something to eat.

_**Reviews are absolutely welcome and necessary!!**_


	4. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

_**I would like to thank my readers for being patient with me. I started this story last year and have been working on it ever since. Right now, I'm back in college and for those of you who know how "fun" college can be…need I say more? However, I will work as hard as I can to give you updates. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be every week, even though I would have liked to. Still, thanks anyway, and I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do working on it. Domo arigato gozaimasu!!**_

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns the main characters, I own Sadayo, and her family members and any other people I decide to include in this. (sigh)

Slapping her alarm clock the next morning, Sadayo stretched and yawned, laying in bed for a few minutes to collect herself. Finally after sitting up in the bed she decided she would go into work for the morning half of the day. Looking at the clock she noticed it was a little later than her usual time for getting up and since it happened to be Friday, InuTaisho did say to her that she was allowed to dress casually.

Turning on her television in her room she found that the weather was unbearably chilly. _This is really weird weather for early April_, she thought to herself. Running into the bathroom she took care of showering and brushing her teeth. She gave a small chuckle when she flecked a little bit of toothpaste foam onto the mirror because she was beginning to rush. Brushing her hair and bangs, she grabbed a rubber band and put her hair into a ponytail. Rummaging quickly through her closet, she picked out a pair of very dark blue bootcut jeans, a silver shirt and a black blazer. Donning a little of silver eyeshadow, clear lip gloss, black eyeliner and mascara, Sadayo hurriedly put on her shoes and grabbed her purse, keys and jacket.

When she arrived at work, she found InuTaisho waiting for her at the front desk.

"Good morning, sir," she said cheerfully.

"Good morning to you as well, Sadayo," he responded. He looked at his watch. "You're a few minutes early. Did you eat before you came in?"

She heaved a breath she didn't even know she was holding in. Stopping to listen she found that her heartbeat was a little erratic and fluttered. "How did you know I was rushing?"

He chuckled. "I heard you before you opened the door and your stomach just growled."

A stripe of red flew across her cheeks as another growl made its presence known. "I didn't have a chance to eat yet." She put one arm around her stomach in an attempt to muffle it.

He stopped her from putting her things down on the floor. "Turn around and walk across the street to the coffee shop and get yourself some breakfast. I do not want you to pass out three times in a two day span."

She gave a sheepish chuckle. "I'm really sorry about that sir."

He shook his head and waved it off. "Sadayo, do not apologize for things that you do not have control over. Now go get something to eat, please."

She nodded. "I will be back in a few minutes." Jingling her keys and readjusting her purse on her shoulder, she turned on her foot and walked out of the doors, walking down to the new coffee shop they had put on the corner across the street. She ordered a medium white hot chocolate and a nice-sized blueberry muffin along with a giant chocolate-chip cookie. Walking back to the firm, she came through the glass doors, gently sipping her hot chocolate and almost burning her tongue. When she set her bag down on the front desk, she knocked over a couple of papers and stretched her torso, with her right leg raised in the air to balance herself.

At the sound of feet shuffling across the carpet, she found Sesshoumaru had entered the firm as she locked eyes with him and him with her. When he looked and found her picking up the papers in that manner, the position of her dangerous legs practically gave him an invitation. She may not have realized it, but there was definitely a "come get me" attitude to it. At the odd angle she had to bend herself, he even got a slight view of her cleavage, her creamy ivory skin calling to him. His body tensed at the provocative sight of her and it took every ounce of his demonic strength to restrain himself.

While he was giving her body a thorough inspection, she was doing the same. Looking him over, she found that his long black coat touched down to his calves, showing the dark navy blue color of his trousers. His shoes were the same navy blue and wing-tip. He wore the coat open at the neck, showing his flawless ivory skin and his Adam's apple that moved slightly when he swallowed. His neck was slim, but strong. His jaw line was also slim and strong, but any normal woman would be taken aback in awe because of how set it was, declaring his position subtly, but strongly at the same time. That was the kind of man he was; he didn't have to say anything to demand attention, his presence just naturally radiated it. Sadayo's eyes drifted upward to look at his lips as they were thin and were in a straight line…but if he had of just relaxed them, she imagined that they could be pretty kissable. Snapping herself from her thoughts, she realized that she was literally checking him out and she silently cursed herself for thinking that way about him, when they didn't even get along well enough.

"Good morning," she said quietly, averting her eyes quickly with the last word. She didn't want him to think that she was checking him out.

He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement while successfully hiding his slightly flushed face, which quickly returned to its normal pale color. "Good morning to you as well. Do you feel any better than you did yesterday?"

She nodded. "Much better in fact," she replied giving a nervous smile so that he wouldn't catch the slight blush that was threatening to rise to surface of her cheeks. One would think that she was a virgin schoolgirl, she couldn't even look him in the eye over just checking him out.

Sesshoumaru averted her attention back to him with a small clearing of his throat. "Father has already informed me of your schedule for today and I only have a few things for you to do."

"Is it much less than yesterday?" she asked jokingly.

"Yes," he said in his usual monotone and then walked past her to head into his office. Stopping in the doorway, he turned around to face her. "When you put down your belongings see me in my office."

"Yes sir," she said, blowing her bangs off of her forehead. _Typical, shrewd bastard._ "I will come to see you after I clock in."

Walking into her own office and then putting her coat on the wooden tree and her purse in her desk drawer, she switched her computer and printer on and then walked down the hall to the time clock.

When she got to Sesshoumaru's office, she knocked on the door, finding it closed. "Come in," is what she heard. Gingerly, she opened the door as a slight creak emerged.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked with a slight amount of trepidation in her voice.

Sesshoumaru picked up his briefcase and put it on his desk. "The only things I need for you to accomplish today are the documents that you were unable to finish the previous day and these things here," he motioned to the files that were in his hand. She stepped forward and extended her hand and he gave them to her. Little, known to the both of them, their fingertips lightly brushed the other's. Sadayo quickly pulled her hand back as soon as she felt their fingers touch. "You can bring them to me when you are ready to leave for the day."

"Alright," she said, turning around to leave.

"Ms. Atami," he called.

"Yes?" she asked, turning back around.

She found him to be turned around and looking at the window, staring down at the morning hustle and bustle along downtown Tokyo. Slowly, he turned to the side, gazing at some random spot on the wall, not looking at her. "It is very difficult for me to make amends for my actions since I on rare occasions ever do so, but…"

She slowly moved to the side of his desk. "But, what? What are you trying to tell me?"

He turned around and then his gaze met hers and if she would have presumed it, his normal hard stare had softened somewhat toward her. "But what I meant to say is…this Sesshoumaru does apologize for putting you under physical stress."

Her eyes widened and heartbeat slammed against her ribcage repeatedly. _He apologized! I don't believe it. I never thought I would hear him apologize ever…. What the heck is with him using third person? He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would apologize for anything. But, he apologized! He must be sick…am I still sick? _ "F-forget it," she stammered. "I'm fine now, so l-let's just never make mention of it again. I'll h-hand you these when I'm finished with them." Quickly Sadayo turned and left his office, confused at what just happened.

Sesshoumaru allowed a small smirk to cross his features. Apparently, she had been shocked when he apologized and her heart reacted because he had heard it. He apologized to her because he did feel bad for putting her under so much stress. To be honest, he was surprised with himself that he had apologized to her, but he let the thought pass and putting other thoughts aside, he prepared for the day's work.

Sadayo walked back toward her office and ran into Sango. "Hey, you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend. "How are you feeling today? You okay?"

Sadayo grinned as she returned the hug. "I'm feeling much better, thanks. Today though, Mr. Taisho asked me to only work half a day so I'm here in the morning and I will be gone by noon."

"Aww," Sango said, sucking her teeth. "You're lucky."

"You call passing out repeatedly being lucky?"

"No, no," she responded, holding up her hands. "I mean you get to work half a day. I have an engagement party that Miroku and I have to run to practically right after work."

"Same here," Sadayo said. "My sister is getting married and I have to run to her engagement party tonight as well. I'm going to get my nails and feet done after I leave here."

"Well, isn't that a coincidence, we both have engagement parties to run to." Sango smiled in recalling a memory. "I remember when Shippo was a cute little thing, now he's a grown man and is getting married."

At the sound of that vaguely familiar name, Sadayo's ears twitched and then she did a double take. "Did you say Shippo?"

"Yeah, why?" Sango asked. After she thought for a second, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "Yuko is your sister?"

Sadayo nodded with a grin. "Wow," Sango said. "Isn't this a small world?"

"I know, right," she replied. "But I've never even met Shippo before. My sister sounded so happy when she told me, and I am quite happy for her."

"Yuko is a perfect match for him. The two of them fit very well together. By the way, what time is the party tonight?"

"I think Yuko told me it's at 8:00," Sadayo said as she bit her lip in thought. "I would probably have to call her to ask."

"Are you talking about Yuko and Shippo?" came a voice from around the corner.

"Yeah Kagome," Sadayo responded.

Kagome came around the bend and then stood among the two women. "I'm so happy for Shippo too," she said warmly as a sincere smile crossed her face. "My son has grown up so much."

Sadayo did another double take. "Shippo is your son? I thought this was your first child," she said gesturing to her belly.

Kagome and Sango exchanged a look. Obviously, an essential piece of the puzzle was missing and Sadayo had no clue. "Well, he's not my biological son. I adopted him a long time ago."

"Oh, okay," she said with a shrug, deciding to absorb the fact and be done with it.

Kagome decided to change the subject. "So you are only working half a day today right?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah," Sadayo said sheepishly. "Mr. Taisho only wanted me to work a half-day because of what happened yesterday."

"Good," came Inuyasha's voice. "You don't need to pass out again 'cause I am afraid that you will pass out and then end up in a coma."

A worried look crossed all three of the women's faces. "Let's hope not," came the reply in unison, and a chuckle soon followed

.

Inuyasha gave Kagome a big kiss on the lips in front of Sango and Sadayo. "I'll see you in the office in a minute, Kagome," he said. "I've got some things I need you to look over."

Unknown to the other two women, Inuyasha gave Kagome a slow wink from his left eye, a subtle signal that he wanted her. If she quickly winked with her right eye, it was a signal to him that she wanted him too. Luckily for him, she did wink back to him with her right eye. Neither Sango nor Sadayo noticed it, but they did make grotesque faces at him kissing her in front of them.

"Get a room, you two," Sadayo said, making a motion that she was going to throw up.

"He's such an animal," Kagome said jokingly. Turning around to look only at her, he gave her a lustful growl and then turned back around. As quick as that growl was, when they locked eyes, the same amount of lust that was in the growl was also in his eyes as a wave passed over her, letting her know how serious he was.

Kagome gave a small shudder. Sango gave a chuckle and shook her head. Sadayo looked back and forth at what just happened between the two of them. "Did he just growl?" Sadayo asked.

Kagome snapped back to attention. "Huh? What?" All of her senses were going hazy and it was becoming harder and harder to keep focused.

"Inuyasha just growled at you," Sadayo said. "What in the heck was that about?"

"Oh, he was just joking," Kagome said, trying her hardest to keep from biting her lip. Inuyasha was continuing to send her subliminal messages and she was about to break from the sensations. She could feel her knees buckling and it was getting harder to stand upright.

Sadayo shrugged. "Well, I don't feel so bad now that I'm not alone."

Kagome and Sango both snapped to attention when she made that statement and they both looked at each other. Luckily, Sadayo missed it. "What do you mean?" they both asked.

A sheepish laugh passed through her. "I thought I was weird. I find myself growling at the weirdest things and I have no idea where it comes from. I mean, jeez, you would think I was some type of animal or something."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Uh, I gotta go to the bathroom," she said hurriedly as she ran off. Sango turned and looked at Kagome as she ran for the "bathroom." She shook her head. _And Sadayo thought Miroku and I were bad._

Shrugging, Sadayo walked into her office after saying goodbye to Sango. Sitting at her desk and removing her blazer, she stretched her body and stretched her fingers. "Let's hurry up and get this over with," she said aloud.

About 10:30, Sadayo ran out of paper and ink for her printer as she was more than halfway finished with her work. Standing up, she bent over and stretched her torso from the waist and her back was to her door. Unknowingly, Sesshoumaru had come into her office to ask her a question and he got an eyeful of her backside. Her jeans slid slightly down and he could see the top of a hot pink thong peeking over the fabric. Quite a few mental images ran through his head as his body began to react to them. He mustered up as much strength as he could to calm himself down just as she straightened herself into a standing position. She turned around and jumped, his entry so quiet and sneaky that she didn't even hear him come in.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, you scared me," she said, her hand pressing over her heart. It was fluttering once again at a fast pace.

He inwardly smirked because he had an effect on her, but on the other hand, her body had quite an effect on him. Clearing his throat, he straightened his glasses.

"Did you find the document you were working on yesterday?" he said.

"Um, no," she answered honestly. _I didn't even get a chance to really go looking for it yet._

"It's on your hard drive," Sesshoumaru stated. "I'll find it." Walking over to her desk, he leaned over her as she removed her hand from the mouse and he placed his hand on it. As he leaned over, his head was on the right side of hers and she got a good whiff of his scent.

_He smells so good_, Sadayo thought._ Almost smells like wood burning in a fireplace._ It took every ounce of her strength to just pull his face to hers and kiss him feverishly. A few compromising mental images passed through her head. _Oi, where the hell did that come from?_ Something else was happening too. _Oh man, don't tell me I'm getting excited._ It took every ounce of her trying to not bite her lip, especially in front of him. She couldn't stand it and she had to cross her legs, turning her head to the side, pretending to look at some nonexistent object on the floor so he wouldn't see her biting her lip.

Just as Sadayo was having her own hard time controlling herself, Sesshoumaru was battling through the same thing. He could smell her arousal and he could feel his own arousal meeting his pants. Her scent was changing from its usual sweet pea and violet to a spicy aroma. It took all his strength not to kiss her until she melted and not to mention to bang her until she couldn't walk anymore.

After a few more agonizing seconds that felt like hours, he finally found the document after looking through her desktop. "There it is," he said.

"Thank you," she said as she turned away her head and bit her lip again, trying to calm down.

He cleared his throat again and obviously he was hard beyond belief. "Anyway, I was coming in here to ask you if you had seen where Father put the new blue tooth earpieces."

Sadayo thought for a minute. "He didn't say anything to me about them, but I will look in the storage room for you after I finish this one up," she said.

"That's fine, and while you are in the storage room can you retrieve some printer ink and paper for me as well?"

She nodded. "I need some myself."

He walked back out of her office and then went back into his own. Closing the door he sat back down at the desk with a huge bottle of water and drank a quarter of it in practically one gulp. Youkai women were something to behold, but this particular hanyou female had an effect on him like no other, as he willed his aroused state to return to normal. His beast was fighting against him as his eyes flashed from white to red until he was able to get it back under control.

After a few moments she finished and printed the document and Sadayo headed into the storage room and began her search for the necessary items.

Absentmindedly chewing on his pen in thought and staring at the computer screen for what seemed like forever, Sesshoumaru looked up at the clock and wondered what could be taking her so long. She had been in the storage room for almost fifteen minutes. _When you want things done right, you have to do them yourself,_ he thought.

Walking along the shelves again, she was still looking for the hardest item to find which were the earpieces. This time, she was on guard as her ears picked up the sound of very small footsteps shuffle across the floor. "Did you find them yet?" came his quiet baritone.

"No, not yet," she called back just as quietly as Sesshoumaru came around the corner into the small space, practically cornering her. He looked like a hunter stalking his prey to be honest. Awkwardly, she turned to the side, clearing her throat and scanned the shelves looking for the box. After a few minutes of the both of them searching, a smile crossed her face as she pointed upwards.

"There they are," she said. "On the top shelf."

He looked up to where she was pointing. "Would you be able to reach them?"

She looked at the shelves. "Can these shelves support my weight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I would have to climb them to get the box."

He looked over her frame. "I am most positive that they would if there was nothing else on them. These shelves have been this way for years. If there happened to be any more weight on them, they would probably collapse." He turned his attention back to the shelves to try to figure a way to get the box.

She smirked and looked up at him. "Are you calling me fat?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "You are far from that word."

With a sheepish grin she looked around and found no stool for her to use. "Well, there is no stool which means the only way I can get them is if you get me up there yourself."

"Very well then," he said. Sesshoumaru walked up behind her and placed his arms around her waist. When he touched her she tensed slightly and he felt it. She tensed because it was slightly unexpected but it was so warm and comforting. She probably could have stayed there, locked in his strong arms. The hold was so gentle that Sadayo could have practically melted, but her body refused her mind and it tensed slightly again.

"Relax, Sadayo," he said, almost rather huskily. "I do not bite."

She turned her head slightly to face him with an eyebrow raised. "Oh, really? You don't bite, huh?"

He smirked and lowered his mouth next to her ear. "Not unless you want me to," he said in almost a whisper that was so quiet she herself would have missed it if her hearing weren't so good.

Her eyes widened as he lifted her up. Lifting her up into the air, he found that she was much lighter than he remembered. He had caught her twice, but this time his touching her was voluntary.

She picked the box up from the shelf and he let her back down. When she looked at him, his face was just as emotionless as if nothing had happened. She scoffed at herself on the inside. _Did you really think he would be attracted to you, girl? Come on, get a grip, and not to mention that he is your boss. He probably could have any woman that he wants and that probably doesn't include you. Besides, you don't need a relationship right now._

"Take these to my father," he said quietly. A slight noise tipped off his sensitive hearing and he craned his head toward the sound. The noise was coming from the separate area of the storage room, a small closet as it were. That room held some of the things that could not fit anywhere else.

She noticed his slight facial expression. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

"Silence," he said just as quietly, but forcefully.

A loud thump was heard and Sadayo's nose and ears both awakened as she heard and smelled what Sesshoumaru had smelled. Her eyes widened in shock. "Uh, Sesshoumaru?"

His right eye looked over at her. "Is it just me or is someone being intimate right now?" she asked.

He took in a small sniff. "You are correct." Another small smirk crossed his face as he turned his back to her. _In the office again, is it Inuyasha?_

"It's Inuyasha and Kagome, isn't it," she said with the same shocked expression. He gave a slight nod. Sadayo made a face and then her eyes widened even more as she heard a grunt. "Eww," she said as she picked up the box and hurried out of the room. Sesshoumaru followed behind her, picking up the paper and printer ink with a sly smirk on his face. _So, she smelled it as well, the sign of a true demon. Half-demon she may be, but her nose is exceptional. Her sense of smell is almost as strong as mine. But that doesn't make any sense. If she is a hanyou, why in the world would her nose be as strong as a full-blooded youkai?_ He found her antics to be amusing, seeing how she was once married, but he dismissed that thought out of his mind._ She ran out of this room like she had virgin ears._

Reaching InuTaisho's office, Sadayo balanced the box on one leg and knocked on the door. "Come in," she heard through the wood.

She opened the door and saw him sitting behind the desk, writing something out. He looked up to see her entering with a box in hand. "What is that in your possession?"

She held the box out. "Sesshoumaru told me to give these to you. They are the new blue tooth earpieces."

"Great," he said with a smile on his face. "You can put them down in the chair there and I will get to them momentarily." He glanced up at the clock and then looked back down at what he was doing. "Are you getting ready to leave soon?"

Sadayo glanced up at the clock. It was ten minutes before eleven. "Are you trying to get rid of me so soon? You told me to work until noon if I came in this morning."

InuTaisho looked up at her with a chuckle. "No, of course I'm not trying to get rid of you. It is only that before you know it, the time will be noon and you will not have the rest of your work accomplished and I do not wish to relive a repeat of yesterday's episode."

She chuckled as well. "I am actually more than half-way finished," she said, twiddling her fingers as a thought came to her mind. He caught her playing with her hands.

He smelled the apprehension in her scent. _What could she be so nervous about? _"What is the matter, Sadayo?" he asked. "You are playing with your fingers. When you do that, it is because you do not want to ask me a question."

She blushed. "Jeez, you can read me like a book. But, um, I do have a question and I do hope that you do not become offended."

He put his pen down and folded his hands on top of his legal pad, gesturing to her. "Please ask your question."

Her tone dropped as the door was still open. "Uh, do you allow intimacy in the workplace?"

Standing up, he walked around her saying nothing and closed the door. _Oh great,_ she thought. _I must be in for it now._

He leaned against the desk and gestured for her to sit down, which she timidly obliged to. "Do not be nervous about your question, and before you ask it, no, your job is not at stake. If you are referring to Inuyasha and Kagome, then yes, I do. As long as it was in a secluded place and the noise was kept low it is alright with me. Even if Sesshoumaru was to have a mate, especially if she worked here, I would allow the same, but he would hardly be open to the idea of public displays of affection, I imagine." With that unexpected response, Sadayo's eyes widened in shock.

InuTaisho chuckled at her expression. "What shocks you about my answer?"

Sadayo held her hands up. "I don't know," she said. "I guess I would not have expected you to say such a thing."

"Do you see it in error to be with one's mate?"

She leaned her chin on her fist. "Um, well, I guess not."

"It is of no such outstanding matter. Plus, Kagome is carrying so Inuyasha probably finds her irresistible at the moment. Her call to him is probably stronger than ever."

Luckily for him, Sadayo happened to miss the last statement and nodded her head. "Okay," she said, shivering. "I just hope I can get that noise out of my head." She stood up and walked to the door. "I-I'm going to go g-get my work done."

InuTaisho gave a small chuckle. "Just please inform me when you are leaving. I will see you tonight at the engagement party though."

"Yeah, I'm so happy for my sister," Sadayo said happily. With a seemingly satisfied sigh, she opened the door and walked out.

InuTaisho looked at her and then shook his head. He knew what that sigh meant. Yes, he could tell that she was lonely. All he could do was watch and wait and pray, hoping that she would find the right one, and that it would happen soon.

When she walked back to her office, she found Kagome walking toward her own office, practically stumbling along the way as if she was drunk. Oh, she was drunk alright, but it was a different type of alcohol. She was so "intoxicated" that she was slowly but surely making her way to the room holding onto the wall and her legs were absolutely wobbly.

Sadayo snickered. Kagome looked up with a slightly horrified expression but she was trying her hardest to conceal her demeanor. "What are you laughing at?"

"You can walk…barely," Sadayo said quietly with a small snicker, trying her hardest to hold it in. "I'm surprised, as hard as you hit that wall."

Kagome's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "You heard us?"

Sadayo held her stomach in quiet laughter as she nodded, holding onto the wall to try to get some support. "It's okay, though," she answered in response to the increasingly horrified look on Kagome's face, as her complexion got redder by the second. "When I got married, we were like that too. We were in the bathroom at my mother's house once and we tried to keep quiet about it."

"Oh, well at least I'm not alone in this. Please don't tell Sango though," she said.

"It's okay Kagome, and besides she probably knows, as long as you two have been friends. I've gotta get the rest of my work done before I get out of here." She lowered her voice even more so that no one else would hear. "Just get a wheelchair for later on tonight."

Kagome playfully slapped her on the shoulder with another horrified look on her face as Sadayo practically fell into her office laughing.

Looking up at the clock, Sadayo noticed that she had about fifty minutes to go until she was supposed to leave. First, finishing her muffin, she cracked her knuckles once again and kicked it into high gear, long elegant fingers flying over the keys.

Finally printing the last document, she placed it in the basket. Checking the clock on her monitor, she saw that she had finished everything with ten minutes to spare.

She sighed in satisfaction as her fingers were a little sore from typing so much and so fast, but she was relieved that she got everything done. _I just hope I don't get carpal tunnel syndrome from this_.

Walking into Sesshoumaru's office, she found him to be on the telephone. She motioned to her pile of work as he held up a finger to acknowledge her.

He had turned around in his chair and his voice was kept low. Looking at her watch she noticed that it was almost noon and she walked out to give him a little more privacy. A few seconds later, Sango walked past.

"Hey Sada," she said. "Shouldn't you getting ready to leave soon?"

Sadayo nodded. "Yeah, but I am waiting for Sesshoumaru to finish on the phone so I can go."

Sango scoffed. "He's so cocky." The response was a shrug. "Just don't back down when he gets too tough, but I know you don't back down anyway."

While the two were talking, Sesshoumaru called Sadayo in. Now he calls me, she mouthed. She rolled her eyes and gestured to Sango. "See you later," Sango whispered. Sadayo turned to give her a quick nod.

"Yes?" she asked when she walked in.

"I understand you had completed your work," he said when she stopped in front of his desk. "You had come in while I was on the phone."

"Uh huh," she responded as she handed him the papers. Taking them from her, he touched her fingers again and she pulled them back quickly and Sesshoumaru mentally smirked. _She's nervous around me, probably after what happened in the storage room._

Placing the stack on his desk, he looked them over and said nothing. The only things that escaped him were a few small grunts. After a few moments Sadayo folded her hands in front of her and bit her lower lip in anticipation of what he would say. Slightly she began to rock back and forth from waiting for him to say something.

Finally, after what seemed like forever to her, he looked up at her and nodded his approval. Setting his gaze more intently, she looked absolutely delicious with her blunt teeth grazing her lower lip. That look practically made him want to bite her lip himself, among other things. Her big hazel eyes were wide in anticipation and he had to allow a smirk cross his features. "Calm yourself. You look like a troubled schoolgirl in the principal's office," he said as he applied his signature to a couple of the documents.

A slight stripe of red crossed her cheeks as she let her lip go and she stopped playing with her hands.

"Your work is fine," he said as he put some of it in a folder and looked at her. "Have a good day."

"Thank you and you have a good day as well," she said as she turned around and walked out.

Walking to the time clock, she picked up her card and punched out for the day. A door opened to her left and InuTaisho came out.

"I was just going to tell you that I was preparing to leave," she said with a smile. "I've already clocked out."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Gather your belongings and then come into my office before you leave."

"Ok," she said as she turned on her heel and walked back toward her own office. Grabbing her belongings, she cut out her lights and closed her door, walking back to InuTaisho's office.

She stopped in the doorway and knocked. He looked up at her with a smile. "Come in Sadayo," he said warmly, "and have a seat. I promise you this won't take long."

"Ok," she said as she sat down.

He leaned on his desk in front of her. "I wanted to give you this before I forgot." Reaching behind him and grasping a small cardboard box on his desk, he handed it to her.

She looked at the box quizzically. There was nothing written on it to tell her what it was so she had absolutely no clue. Turning the box all over to give her a hint of something she asked, "What would this happen to be?"

"It's a blue tooth earpiece," he said rather simply.

"Oh," she said with a hint of shock as she looked up at him in slight confusion. "Sir, why would you be giving me this? I'm not even an attorney."

"Your not being an attorney has nothing to do with why I am giving you this," he said with a chuckle. "I am giving you this because you can reach everyone with this, myself included. It will be compatible to your current cellular phone and it will coincide with voice commands."

"Oh," she said again. "I've never received anything like this before." As she opened the box a thought crossed her mind. "Are you trying to keep tabs on me?" she asked with a smile.

"In a way, yes and no," he replied. "Yes, there is a tracking system in all of these, but I can keep a watch on everyone, not just you, plus, it is much easier to talk when you don't have to fumble in your oversized pocketbook for a cellular phone, don't you agree?"

A sheepish smile crossed her beautiful features. "Well, thank you," she said. "Will there be anything else you need me for?"

InuTaisho shook his head. "Take your leave and I will see you at the party tonight."

She smiled and with a small bow to him, she turned to leave his office. "Thank you sir," she said before turning back around to leave and when she took one step forward she walked straight into the solid wall that was Sesshoumaru's chest.

"Excuse me," she mumbled and walked around him and left, her ponytail bouncing against her back. She shook her head as she felt something rattle around in there. _Feels like I just walked into a brick wall._

Sesshoumaru watched the woman walk away from him as he shrugged his shoulders. Sadayo picked up her cell phone out of her pocketbook and called her sister at work.

"Hey Yuko," Sadayo said.

"Hey Sada," her sister replied.

"Listen, you never told me the dress code for the party tonight. Is it formal or what?"

"Yeah, it's formal," came the answer.

"Okay, cool. I'll see you at the party then. Love you girl."

"Love you too." The two hung up and Sadayo turned, heading for Sango's office. Unfortunately, Sango had already left for her lunch hour and wasn't there. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back around and headed for the glass doors. As she walked she sent a text message to Sango relaying the information.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" he asked, entering his father's office.

He closed the door behind him. "So, you gave her the blue tooth Father? I thought you were not trying to keep watch over her."

"Yes, but these are for everyone in the firm, not just Sadayo," he said as he placed a file in his folder. Standing up, he turned around and placed the folder into the small file cabinet. "Are you going to the engagement party tonight?"

_Splendid, now the semantics arrive. _"Father, is it absolutely mandatory that I attend this?"

InuTaisho moved his ponytail out of the way and looked at his son over his shoulder. "It would be appreciated if you would attend, since Shippo is technically your nephew now."

With a sigh, he massaged the bridge of his nose. He really did not want to go to the party this evening but whether he liked it or not Shippo was family. To be quite honest, Sesshoumaru had to show up to worse events in the past. What harm could the evening possibly contain? A second sigh left him. "Fine, Father. I will attend this engagement party."

"Marvelous," he said with a smile. "Shippo and Yuko will be very pleased. We will close the firm early so please have yourself ready to leave by four o' clock."

Another soft sigh eluded Sesshoumaru. "As you wish, Father." He turned around and walked out of the office and back to his own.

Inuyasha walked down to his own office before encountering his older brother in the hallway. "Sesshoumaru," he said nonchalantly, passing him, walking until Sesshoumaru stopped him.

"Inuyasha…" he said.

"What do you want?" he replied in the same tone, turning back around to face him.

His elder brother turned to meet his eye. "Next time, be a little quieter when you choose to mate in the workplace. If you left a hole in that wall, I suggest you have it repaired."

Inuyasha smirked. "At least I am getting some, as for you, when was the last time you did? Around the year 1855?"

Sesshoumaru looked at him with a hint of disdain. _Insolent half-breed_. "My episodes of sexual intimacy have absolutely nothing to do with this particular matter. I only request that you keep the noise at a minimum," he said with a smirk, "and if I did have a mate, she would need a wheelchair."

"Big talk," Inuyasha responded with a smirk of his own. "Let's see how long you let your potential mate walk around right under your nose and you do nothing about it." _As clearly how her scent is all over you once again._

With that, Inuyasha walked away and toward his office, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. Sesshoumaru his eyes narrowed at the retreating back of his younger sibling because of his insinuation. Usually he didn't consort to his brother's level but he allowed it and bantered back with him. As he turned into his doorway, he knew exactly what, or _whom_ rather, Inuyasha was referring to. He knew he had felt something for Sadayo when he first came into contact with her, but his pride did get in the way and it still continued to, even now.

_Ridiculous, _he thought to himself. _This woman is being paid to be my assistant and nothing more shall ensue. How could I even consider the idea of having a mate…But, I guess it is about time I search about for one and it is about time I produced an heir. Father will not be around forever and the family bloodline will need to continue._

Dismissing such thoughts once again, he turned into his office and buried himself into his work once again. As he looked over all of the papers that sat on his desk, he wondered how in the world he had ended up in this particular situation. For so long he had been perfectly content with being a bachelor and then here comes this practically infuriating woman that turns his world upside down. She may have been sort of a spitfire, which is something that he was sort of looking for, but in a sense she was undeniably modest. There were times where she couldn't even keep eye contact, especially when she was aroused by his presence, and she seemed to be shy, only really talking unless there was something she didn't really agree with and then there was that fire inside of her again coming out.

Granted, there was no denying that he was aroused by her as well. He was a little upset with the lack of control when he knew his father had detected the arousal in his aura the day he first met Sadayo, but nonetheless, for whom he thought was a human was a definitely beautiful one. This half-demon female may have turned his world upside down, but he figured that she was too beautiful to pass up. He had even gone so far as to give her a hint as to how aroused he was implying that he does bite…and the statement was a fact. Her porcelain skin pulsed with what he imagined to be the sweetest-tasting blood. The thought almost made him transform as he felt his eyes began to bleed red in arousal and his fangs grow in anticipation of sinking them into her ivory skin.

He had to cease his body with all the force he could muster up. Closing his eyes he reined his beast back into its cage and locked it. _She's not ready yet and apparently, neither am I. Could Sadayo even handle the magnitude of my family's true identity and nature? Hell, she doesn't even know about herself. Not to mention, I have no idea what type of half-demon she is. Maybe it is overdue that she finally learns about her true nature, but this will take some time. One way or the other, she will learn what she truly is. _


	5. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

_**Hi you guys! I thought that since I haven't uploaded in awhile that I would at least thank you for being so patient with me that I am going to upload at least two more chapters, so thanks for putting up with me. Enjoy! **_

Disclaimer: Don't own, but would love to own Sesshoumaru. (Hentai grin)

"Good evening Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome," the butler said as he opened the door for the two of them.

"Thank you," Inuyasha said as he took his mate's arm and helped Kagome up the stair and into the foyer. A small scoff emerged from Kagome.

"What was that for?" Inuyasha asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Inuyasha, I'm not fragile. Jeez, stop helping me everywhere every few seconds. You're starting to get on my nerves you know," Kagome said with a hint of irritation.

"He's just helping his mate, Kagome," InuTaisho said as he came from around the corner, "as he should help you since you are carrying his firstborn."

"It doesn't stop it from being so annoying," she replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"He'll get even more protective seeing how my son's mate is exceptionally beautiful," he said with a smile.

A sheepish smile crossed her face. "You look handsome, Father," Kagome said. He wore a formal black tuxedo with his hair tied into a long ponytail but braided down his back.

"Thank you child," he said. Looking at Inuyasha, he gave him a knowing look, practically rolling his eyes. "You know who we are waiting on now."

"Sesshoumaru, are you ready yet?" Inuyasha called from the bottom of the stairs, tapping his foot impatiently. He turned his wrist to look at his gold watch, the time being a half-hour before the party was to begin. "We're going to be really late unless you come down here in the next five seconds."

As soon as he finished the sentence Sesshoumaru appeared at the top of the grand staircase, dressed in a black tuxedo and black wing-tip shoes, with his right hand in the pocket of his trousers and his black dress coat on his left arm. His black hair was tied in a low ponytail, almost matching his father's hairstyle.

InuTaisho nodded his approval. "Very nice attire, Sesshoumaru. You look very presentable."

_This old man._ "I am not a child, Father. I believe I know how to dress for an occasion such as a simple engagement party," he said as he made his way down that staircase, donning his coat once he touched the marble floor.

"I didn't say that you were a child. Now let's leave before we are even later than we need to be," InuTaisho responded.

"Yeah, let's get going, besides, I'm getting hungry again," Kagome added as she gently rubbed her growing belly.

The four of them piled into the limousine that was waiting in the front circular driveway, with Jaken holding the door open for them. "Thank you, Jaken," InuTaisho responded as he climbed into the backseat. Sesshoumaru was the last one to climb in and Jaken commented.

"You look quite debonair this evening, Lord Sesshoumaru," he said with a broad smile and squawky voice, "not a hair out of place." Sesshoumaru glanced at Jaken out of the corner of his eye and then wordlessly climbed into the limo.

Jaken sighed as he climbed into the front seat. Pulling out of the driveway, he drove along as he looked at Sesshoumaru through his rearview mirror. The other three inhabitants were chatting away as Sesshoumaru stared out of the window watching the traffic go by. His honeyed eyes were just locked on whatever they were focused on. As he looked at him he finally tore himself away from the gaze of his master just in time as he almost rear-ended another vehicle, causing him to slam on the brakes and the four inhabitants in the rear to slide.

"Jaken, I pay you not only to drive but to keep me alive as you do so. Pay attention to your task at hand," InuTaisho said disgustedly. He turned his attention to his pregnant daughter-in-law. "Kagome, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine," she said, rubbing her stomach. "I wonder why you bother to keep him on sometimes."

"I wonder too, Dad," Inuyasha added, "Kagome are you sure you're alright?"

"Inuyasha, I am fine," she said swatting his hands away from her stomach, "now please leave me alone."

"Well, I'm just making sure that you are okay," he said, pouting and folding his arms.

Kagome ruffled his hair. "I know, and I'm sorry I snapped at you but I'm not in a very good mood now since Jaken doesn't know how to drive and I look so fat in this dress," she said as she frowned. Kagome's hair was in thick waves down her back with dark blue eyeshadow to compliment her satin navy blue strapless evening gown. Her skin was positively glowing and her eyes were the brightest he had ever seen them. They had changed from their usual chocolate into looking much more like her mate's; the shade, he noticed, gradually lightened but it was much more noticeable and probably due to her carrying their pup.

Inuyasha put Kagome's head on his shoulder and wrapped his arm around his wife. "You look beautiful, and I'm going to have to keep Kouga off of you, even if it means ripping off his manhood and making him eat it in front of his mate as she cries because she will end up without anymore pups."

Kagome hit Inuyasha in the stomach with her handbag. "You are so violent, but at this time in my life, should he happen to make a move on me, _I_ just might rip off his manhood and make him eat it. I will feel sorry for Ayame though."

"I have heard that pregnancy can make a woman violent," Inuyasha said, "and you talk about me."

Sesshoumaru continued to stare out of the window at absolutely nothing, trying hard to drown out the conversation between the other three passengers in the vehicle. After a few more moments, Jaken finally pulled up to a banquet hall and stopped.

He opened the door for the four of them and Sesshoumaru got out with his father following. Inuyasha climbed out as he helped his mate do the same. The four of them walked into the hall to find Shippo and Yuko already there with Yuko's mother along with a few other guests sitting with them and chatting.

"Excuse me, dear," Shippo said to Yuko giving her a kiss on the cheek. Spotting his mother he strode across the room and as she was distracted he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Hi, Momma."

"Shippo!" Kagome said with tears brimming in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. He pulled back and she got a good look at him. His vibrant red hair had been disguised black for the evening and his usually sparkling jade eyes had been colored a dark brown. Even his voice had changed over the years, from its traditional high pitch to a baritone. "I can't believe you are getting married."

A sheepish smile crossed his features. "Just like I can't believe you mated Inuyasha, Momma," he said as he ran his hand through his short hair.

"Hey!" came the response. His hand tightened into a fist as a low growl escaped him. "Do I have to embarrass you in front of your intended?"

"Do you think I am afraid of you…Dad?" Shippo said with a teasing grin. Sesshoumaru and InuTaisho excused themselves and had stolen away to the bar. They were not going to be involved in watching Inuyasha make a complete idiot out of himself.

"You little runt!" Inuyasha said coming up to stand in front of him. It was quite an amusing scene as Kagome giggled behind her French manicured nails. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, practically glaring at his mate.

"Inuyasha, you called him a runt, and he's towering over you," she said noticing the amount of space in between the two of them.

Inuyasha stopped and looked at his son with a critical eye. Kagome was right, Shippo had grown so much that he indeed stood over his adoptive father, about as much as eight inches. "Damn, when did you get so tall?"

"Mostly during my adolescent years," he said matter-of-factly, causing Kagome to giggle more.

"Oh crap, I need a drink," he said following the footsteps of his brother and father.

Shippo continued talking with his mother until he glanced off to the side to see Yuko coming up behind him. He took her hand in his and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hi Mrs. Taisho," she said shyly. Yuko was still a little nervous around her soon-to-be-mother-in-law.

Kagome walked up to her future daughter-in-law and enveloped her into a hug just as Shippo let go of her. "How are you doing Yuko?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Taisho," she said just as sheepishly as she gingerly returned the hug.

Kagome smiled at her shyness. "If you want to call me Mom or Kagome, either one is perfectly fine with me," she said warmly. "You are a part of this family now."

A genuine smile crossed the young woman's features. "Thank you…Kagome," Yuko replied.

"See," she said with a smile. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Ladies, if you will excuse me, I think I will join the men. I do need a drink as well," Shippo said, excusing himself. He planted a kiss on Yuko's knuckles and one to Kagome's forehead. He walked across the room and joined his grandfather, father and uncle at the bar.

The two women continued to talk as Shippo sat on a barstool. "A seven and seven double please."

"Well, Shippo, how does it feel to be married in less than a month?" InuTaisho asked.

"It feels great, even though I sometimes wonder what I have gotten myself into." Shippo replied as the bartender set his drink in front of him.

"Well, every man goes through that, but you will do fine. Besides, I know you love her."

"Grandfather, I do love her," he said with a genuine smile. As a few more people walked past them, he lowered his voice. "Did you tell Yuko yet?"

Shippo nodded. "She knows everything and it absolutely comfortable with it."

"That's great. What about her mother?"

Shippo thought for a minute. "Good question. If she told her mother, she didn't tell me."

_This means there is a good chance that Sadayo doesn't know either. _"Ok," he said, "but for right now, there are some things that are better left unsaid, until it gets too dangerous of course."

After downing his drink, Inuyasha swiveled around on his stool and looked towards the door. "Sango and her boyfriend are here."

Shippo swiveled around and looked and sure enough, there were Sango and Miroku. She looked great in a chocolate-colored halter gown with a rhinestone o-ring in the center. Miroku had her arm locked in his as he looked charming in his black tuxedo. The two stopped next to Kagome and Yuko and joined in their conversation.

After a few more guests had come in, including Koga and Ayame, Yuko craned her neck around to look for her sister. "Where are you Sada?"

Her mother, Tamiko came up behind her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Yuko, calm down honey. You know how your sister is. She'll be here pretty soon." A few moments later, Sango and Ayame came over and sat down with Kagome.

"Has Sadayo gotten here yet?" Sango asked. "I don't see her."

She shook her head. "I haven't seen her yet either, and by the looks of it, Yuko is getting a little worried," Kagome commented, motioning to her nervous daughter-in-law, which earned a slight chuckle from Sango. Kagome turned her head back and glanced toward the door. "Oh, speak of the devil. She's here."

The rest of the women turned around to see Sadayo entering the room wearing a chiffon magenta-colored halter evening gown with rhinestone decorations on the band where the top met the dress right below her breastbone, said items filling out the dress quite nicely. The rest of the material fell to the floor, embracing her form slightly, but it wasn't completely form-fitting. The same colored wrap fell into the crook of her arms.

Turning around on his stool, Sesshoumaru caught a glimpse of her as she said her hellos to everyone and embraced her sister. If he didn't have so much control over himself his jaw would have hit the floor. Her ebony hair fell down into thick waves down her back with a couple of them falling over her collarbone. The same color of her dress adorned her eyelids and her lashes were thick and long, without the addition of false products. The color on her eyes resembled his when he didn't have his concealing spell on and he was definitely attracted to it. Something vibrated through him and he had to close his eyes in order to try to will it away. He casually glanced over at something else, anything to distract him to try to make sure no one else caught him staring at her. But he found he couldn't help his gaze, she looked absolutely enchanting.

Inuyasha nudged his father in the ribs and motioned to Sesshoumaru. InuTaisho glanced over at his eldest and smiled. Even though the stoic gaze was still there, his eyes gave it all away. Inuyasha shook his head. He still couldn't believe how deep in denial his brother was. _Sesshoumaru, you had better hurry and make a move before someone else does._

"Sada!" Yuko gushed as her elder sister brought her into a hug which she eagerly returned. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to make it!"

Sadayo pulled back from her sister, smiling at her. "Of course I was coming stupid," she said with a playful slap to her right shoulder. "I couldn't miss this and you look great!" Her sister wore a platinum halter evening gown with a plunge neckline and trumpet-style skirt. Her hair was swept up into a fancy ponytail and with her bangs pushed over the side of her face with platinum eyeshadow adorning her eyelids. "Have you lost weight?"

Yuko blushed a little. "Yeah, and I'm trying to lose some more. I wanna look really good on the wedding day."

"You better not," Sadayo warned. "If you lose too much, your dress won't fit right, fall off of you and everyone will think you're on that stuff."

Her youngest sister shook her head with a smile. "You are so stupid," Yuko said with a laugh, draping her arm around her sister. She missed her sense of humor.

"So when exactly is the wedding?" Sadayo asked. "You never really told me by the way."

"It will be next month," Yuko said. "May 10th. I meant to tell you before so you could get your dress in time. You know you're my maid of honor."

A playful glare emerged on Sadayo's face. "I'd better be your maid of honor. After all, you were mine."

Yuko smiled and shook her head. "You have not changed," came the reply as they embraced again.

Her mother stepped around and enveloped her eldest daughter in a hug. "Good to see you honey."

"Likewise, Mom," she said, warmly returning the hug. "I haven't seen you in forever." _Watch, she's going to ask me 'now why are you so late?'_

"Now why are you so late?" her mother asked as she pulled back from her, practically putting her hands on her hips like Sadayo was a five-year-old, caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Sadayo snickered as she and Yuko shared a knowing look. "I had a feeling you were going to say that. I'm sorry to the both of you. I'm a little late because I couldn't find my shoes. Apparently, they weren't in the box like I thought they were. I was gonna call but I was racing trying to get here. I'm lucky I didn't get pulled over as fast as I was driving."

Her mother playfully shook her finger at her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I've always told you to take your things out the night before. Plus, you need to get rid of some things 'cause you are such a pack rat." A warm smile then crossed her mother's lips. "Just like your father."

The same smile crossed her lips. "I miss him. But the funny thing is I barely remember him."

Her mother shrugged. "Well you were only about eight when he was shot."

_Shot?_ Sadayo thought. _Mom always told me he died in his sleep. Maybe he did die in his sleep and it was just a slip of her tongue._

"Well, what about my father?" Yuko spoke up. "When did he die?"

"Honey, you're father died a couple of weeks after you were born."

"Oh," Yuko said. "You're the only parent we have." Both girls hugged their mother as she wrapped her arms around each of her daughters.

"Yes, but you two just make sure to give me at least one grandchild each before I die," she said with a smile. Sadayo rolled her eyes playfully.

Pretty soon after that, Shippo strode over to Yuko and gently touched her arm. "We need to get started, honey."

"Oh wait, Shippo," Yuko said. "This is my sister, Sadayo."

He turned to look at her. "So you are Sadayo," he said warmly, giving her a hug. "Yuko has told me so much about you."

"And me, you," she said just as warmly. "Welcome to the family. You had better take good care of my sister. If anything happens you will answer to me." A playful fist was thrown into his face.

A warm smile emerged from Shippo. _That is that big-sister attitude Yuko had told me about._ "There is nothing that I wouldn't do for this woman."

"I'm glad to hear that," Sadayo replied," and I want plenty of nieces and nephews by the way."

A very perverted smile crossed the younger man's face. "Oh we plan on it," he said wrapping his arms around Yuko's waist. She playfully hit him in the chest. "Hentai," she said with a smile. Sadayo chuckled at the two of them.

Kagome came over at that moment with four other people. "Hey, Sada, you made it!" Sadayo turned around and embraced Kagome in a hug.

"Sadayo, I would like you to meet my friends Koga and Ayame Kobayashi," she said, gesturing to the two wolf demons next to her, "and my mother, Nanami Higurashi and my brother Sota Higurashi."

"Nice to meet all of you," she replied with a welcoming smile. Koga stepped around Kagome and placed a kiss on Sadayo's knuckles. "Well, well. You are delectable. If I wasn't already married, sexy lady—ouch!"

Ayame slapped Koga on the back hard enough for him to stop his rant. "You'll have to excuse him, Sadayo. He does this to most women he meets. I don't know why I put up with him." A smile came over her face at his antics.

"You know exactly why you put up with me," Koga said, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist, and giving her a slight thrust of his hips and nibbled on her ear. Ayame giggled and slapped him on the shoulder. "We're in public you horn-wolf."

Sadayo tapped Kagome on the shoulder. "Are they always like that?"

Kagome nodded and Sadayo shook her head. "How do you keep up with Inuyasha?" Kagome shrugged with a sultry smile and Sadayo chuckled. Koga excused himself with a kiss to Ayame and headed toward the bar to get himself a drink. The rest of them soon joined in conversation with Kagome's mother and brother.

Pretty soon after that, champagne was passed out as Shippo and Yuko welcomed everyone to their party, thanking them for coming and passing out champagne. Soon after the formalities were finished, all of the people got up and mingled, some people getting out onto the dance floor as the music picked up.

Sadayo, Yuko and Tamiko were standing off to the side in conversation until they were interrupted. "Hello, Yuko," a deep voice came from her right. Turning, she saw a man with wavy black hair and reddish-brown eyes and a big smile coming towards her.

"Naraku!" she said, giving him a big hug. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I'm glad you invited me," he said, returning the hug. He had on a black tuxedo as well, matching most of the other men in the room as well. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and it stayed mainly behind his masculine back, but as far as looks go, he was pretty attractive-looking. His left hand was casually in his pants pocket as he pulled back from Yuko.

"I would like for you to meet my mother Tamiko," she said gesturing to her mother. Naraku shook her hand warmly.

"And this is my sister Sadayo," Yuko said. "Sadayo, meet Naraku Watanabe."

Locking eyes with the man, she recognized him from somewhere. "Nice to meet you," she said, placing her hand in his. _Where have I seen this man before?_

"Likewise, beautiful lady," he said, drawing her knuckles to his lips.

A sheepish smile crossed her face as his warm lips touched her skin. "Pardon me, but do I know you from someplace? You look really familiar," Sadayo questioned as a puzzled look crossed her features.

Naraku smiled. "I believe we have met before. Do you remember the coffee shop awhile ago?" _So she does remember me._ In the back of his mind he smiled. _Good, this will work out perfectly._

The tension between her eyebrows released. "Yes, so that is where I know you from."

InuTaisho looked over at whom was conversing with Sadayo and nudged both of his sons.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked after he downed the rest of his glass of champagne.

"Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, look at whom Sadayo is speaking to," the elder Taisho gestured. Both of them swiveled in their stools and looked to see the wavy-haired man a little too close to her for their comfort.

"Isn't that Naraku Watanabe?" Inuyasha asked, his aura flaring. His father nodded toward him. "She cannot be around him. We have seen what he is capable of, and I'll be damned if she gets hurt."

Without another word Sesshoumaru strode purposefully across the room, his eyes dead set on Sadayo, on a mission to get her away from that man, or rather that demon. Inuyasha and InuTaisho shared a knowing look between them as they detected a slight wave of anger in his aura. He was becoming quite protective of her.

InuTaisho turned to Shippo. "Shippo, if you haven't told Tamiko yet, I will. I thought we could delay this a little longer but unfortunately, we can no longer do so. She has to know now before the two of you have children," InuTaisho said.

He nodded in affirmation. "Let me at least tell her you're coming to speak with her," he said. He slid off of his barstool and made his way through the people. Shippo walked over to Tamiko and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mom. My grandfather would like to have a word with you."

InuTaisho appeared behind Shippo and led Tamiko out to the terrace from the room. He made sure that no one else was within earshot as he was about to divulge to her some very important information. She leaned on the stone banister and looked at him curiously.

"Okay, Toshihiro," she said with a sneaky smile. "What is it that you needed to talk to me about?"

"Tamiko," he began, "I need to know if you know Shippo's secret."

Tamiko's eyes widened in horror at the thought of such a secret that might put her daughter in danger. "What secret would that be? If it is that big of a secret and if it happens to put my daughter in danger, then please don't beat around the bush."

"Well, since you asked me not to beat around the bush, then you must know that he is a youkai," he said.

Her head snapped up. For a few moments she stood there, running the information that InuTaisho just told her through her head. Her eyes widened and her eyebrow rose. "He's a demon? Demons still exist?"

InuTaisho shook his head with a smile. "Tamiko Atami, you have no idea."

She folded her arms across her chest in thought. "Really. So if Shippo is your grandson and he's a youkai then that means you are a youkai as well along with your sons."

_Very smart woman. She has figured almost all of this in one second._ "Yes, my sons and I are youkai but Shippo is not my blood grandson. He is a kitsune while my family and I are inu youkai. Kagome is not a demon, she is human, though."

She smiled. "I thought so," she said.

An eyebrow rose. "And how did you come to understand such?" he wondered with a curious look gracing his rugged but handsome features.

Tamiko's smile broadened and her eyes narrowed in secretive look. "My first mate was also an inuyoukai."

_**Aso…the plot thickens! Mwahahahahahahha!! (Sorry, I couldn't resist) **_


	6. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

_**One quick note that I forgot to mention in my last chapter, I have shortened the chapters in order to at least try to prolong the story a little. I have ideas….:twiddles thumbs:. Enjoy!**_

Disclaimer: Same as always—I only own the main character and her family.

When Sadayo whirled around she was surprised to find Sesshoumaru standing there as he placed his hand on the crook of her elbow. "Excuse us," he said to the man as he gently led her away from him. Unknown to the both of them, Naraku's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "I was having a polite conversation with him when you ever-so-rudely interrupted."

He said nothing to her as he pulled her to the dance floor, twirling her out and then flush into him, practically melding their bodies together. He released her hand from his and hooked a finger under her chin to make her look at him. She met his gaze and found that his golden orbs had hardened some but there was a slight flicker of concern that passed through them.

"Naraku Watanabe is _not_ the kind of man you want to get to know on a personal level," he said quietly but also with a slight amount of force. Inuyasha and Shippo shared a knowing look as he watched the conversation unfold between the two of them. From the looks they could see on each other's faces, it wasn't going too well on either end, especially from Sadayo's looks.

Sadayo's eyes narrowed at him. "Who are you to tell me that I cannot have a conversation with someone?" she asked as a flash of anger moved through her own eyes. "I'll talk to whomever I please."

"Not while I'm around," he said twirling her out once again. "He is a very dangerous man and you have no clue what he is capable of."

Her hair swung around to her neck as she came back in, his arm wrapping around her waist snugly. "So are you looking out for me now? Who made you my keeper?"

"I did," Sesshoumaru replied without hesitation as her body met his once more. Inwardly he could feel his beast growling in approval. _Did I just say that?_

**Yes!** His beast growled to him. **You have accepted her as ours!!**

_She is not ours and may not be._

**This Sesshoumaru knows **_**that**_** Sesshoumaru has feelings for Sadayo and we will not stop pestering you until you make her ours.**

_She is not ready for the magnitude that we are yet. Now would not be the time but we will implement this slowly._

**Hasten your intentions because I cannot stand much more of this incessant waiting.**

_I am aware of your discontent. Be patient…_

**How can I be patient when you are taking your damn time with this?? Make her ours!! Mate her now!!**

_I said patience…for she will be ours…but now is not the time. Her heart must mend before she will accept us. Just remain patient._

Her eyes narrowed. Looking at his face, she saw no emotion but his eyes gave it away. Another flash of concern for her passed through them and she softened inwardly a little bit. She even noticed that his grip around her waist seemed to be tight, almost as if he were protecting her. She had to admit, the tuxedo did nothing except for enhance his handsome face and features. The jacket fit perfectly, showing how broad his shoulders were, but she could tell how lean his torso was and the trousers displayed his long legs. His shoes were black and so polished that they glimmered, which was then when she noticed how long his feet were. She remembered what her sister had always said about men with big feet……and with that, Sadayo shuddered at her wanton thoughts and tried to shake it from her mind. But she had to admit, she sort of…liked him holding her and unconsciously, she relaxed into his touch.

"You're not a bad dancer," she mumbled as he gently spun her around and dipped her so low that her hair almost touched the floor.

He brought her body back up and looked into her eyes. "Neither are you," he said just as quietly. She wasn't. He had learned to dance from being forced to as a pup. All of those formals he had to attend with his father and mother required him to dance with the other girls and princesses of the other lands and he hated it. But, he had to admit that she danced better than any girl he had ever danced with. Even wearing four-inch heels, she was still light on her feet. Her raven hair draped across her collarbone and framed her face and the dress fit absolutely perfectly on her, accentuating every womanly curve. The two of them stayed there, locked in each other's gaze until Inuyasha tapped them on the shoulder.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" he said with a teasing grin.

Sesshoumaru painfully tore his gaze away from Sadayo to practically growl at his brother. An angry growl did emerge, but it wasn't from Sesshoumaru. The two of them swung their heads around to look at Sadayo as her eyes widened and then at her embarrassment excused herself and she ran to the bar, both of them hearing her say that she needed a drink.

The two of them stared after her after she downed a glass of wine like it was nobody's business. "Did she just…" Inuyasha trailed off with a surprised smile.

Sesshoumaru stuck his hand in his pants pocket. "She did."

"We need to watch out for her," Inuyasha said. "If her other side takes over, then we will be in big trouble, not to mention Sadayo."

Sesshoumaru gave a short and curt nod in acknowledging his brother's statement. He fell silent for a moment until a thought came to his head. "She needs to be taught," Sesshoumaru said.

Inuyasha looked curiously at his brother. "Uh-oh. I see the wheels in your head turning. What the hell do you have planned for her?"

Sesshoumaru smirked at Inuyasha. "Do not trouble yourself over it. When I am ready to begin, you will be alerted." With that, Sesshoumaru walked back to the bar after her.

She sat at the bar with her head in her hands. _I growled again! What the hell is wrong with me? What is happening to me? What am I?_ A sigh of frustration escaped her lips as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Refill whatever the lady is having, please," a deep baritone from her right said as the individual sat down.

An angry sigh escaped her. "Are you sure you want to sit next to someone that is having an identity crisis?" she said dejectedly as she turned to face Sesshoumaru.

"Do not trouble yourself about it," he said. "You never know about other people." The waiter put Sadayo's glass on a napkin in front of her and she drank half of it in one gulp, pressing her hand to her chest at the intensity of the bite. She knew she was drinking out of frustration and if she kept drinking she wouldn't have been able to drive by the end of the night.

"I hope you can handle your alcohol well," he said. "No one wants to see you on the tabletops this evening seeing how this is a classy event."

_Did he just crack a joke? Does he have a sense of humor?_ Even though it was a little strange hearing him make jokes, she did have to smile a little. "I can hold my own just fine thank you…Thank you for not being repulsed by me," she said with a slight chuckle, sipping the rest her wine.

"Think absolutely nothing of it," he said. He looked around and saw Naraku narrowing his eyes at him. _I have to keep her away from him at all times._ "Do you want to step outside and get some air?"

"Actually, I was just going to ask you the same thing," she said. Sesshoumaru gracefully slid off his barstool and extended his hand toward her which she placed into his.

InuTaisho and Tamiko were still talking near the door when Sadayo nodded her head in acknowledgment to the both of them as Sesshoumaru held the door open for her and they walked outside. InuTaisho and Tamiko shared a knowing look. Once outside, Sadayo pulled her wrap around her shoulders to block the chilly air.

"Are you cold?" Sesshoumaru asked out of consideration.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. My shawl is warm enough." Turning to look upward at the clear night sky, she saw that the stars were shining a little brighter than usual for the night and the moon was full and bright as well.

"I've never seen something so beautiful," she said quietly, her gaze not leaving the sky.

"I've seen much better," Sesshoumaru nonchalantly said, but he wasn't looking at the sky, he was looking at her face. It was something about this full moon that made her seem more angelic than how she looked inside. The moonlight was giving her porcelain skin such a glow and the sparkle in her eyes from seeing the sight only enhanced it. A bright glow also shone from her hair, the light illuminating it as to where he could see it almost took on a midnight blue color. He happened to turn his gaze away from her, before she could catch him looking at her.

She looked at him curiously. "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? You never seemed to give much concern over me before."

He said nothing after she asked the question. A few seconds later he turned to look at her. "My actions toward you have changed somewhat because…my father and brother would be upset if you quit working at the firm." Without another word, he turned around and went back inside of the room, leaving Sadayo without the exact answer she was looking for. She just shook her head in frustration and went back inside, finding Sesshoumaru all the way across the room with Inuyasha practically cornering his older brother in a corner.

At Sadayo's disposition Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru had not said exactly what Sadayo wanted to know. "You couldn't tell her could you?" Inuyasha asked angrily. "Why can't you just tell this woman how you really feel about her?"

_I just couldn't do it._ Sesshoumaru said nothing but went to the bar and downed a shot of bourbon in one gulp. "I'll wait till the wedding to tell her," he said.

"The wedding?! For Kami's sake Sesshoumaru, it's a month away! Are you insane?! Why wait so long? Why not tell her now?!"

Sesshoumaru turned his red-rimmed eyes toward Inuyasha. His anger over this entire situation was beginning to take its toll on him and if his brother didn't cease to piss him off further, he wouldn't be held responsible for his actions.

"I don't recall you telling Kagome how you felt about her until after you almost lost her being so in love with Kikyo," he said, practically growling at him, as he signaled the bartender for another drink.

Inuyasha shook his head with a chuckle. "Yeah, and I was such a dumb ass I almost waited too late to tell her. The problem was that I used Kikyo as a crutch in order to mask my feelings for Kagome. I may be your younger brother but I don't want to see you make the same mistake that I did," Inuyasha replied.

Sesshoumaru practically inhaled a glass of sake. "I refuse to make the same mistake that you did," he said, not turning to face his brother.

Inuyasha shook his head at his brother's stubbornness. "Have it your way, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. "Just don't wait too long to tell her before someone else snaps her up."

Sadayo seethed alone at a table as Sango walked up to her. "Hey girl," Sango said. Sadayo breathed a couple of times so that she calmed herself down.

"I haven't spoken to you all night," she commented.

"Yeah, I've been everywhere," Sadayo responded, not looking at her.

"My boyfriend Miroku was here. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to meet him," Sango said regrettably. "He had to leave the party a little early."

With this, she turned to her friend. "What happened? Is he okay?" Sadayo wondered.

Sango nodded. "Yeah, he's fine but he had to leave. He's an on-call doctor and his pager went off so he had to run to the hospital for a patient that just went into labor."

"Well, I guess I'll meet him sooner or later," she said.

Sango looked a little more closely at her friend. Something was obviously getting under her skin and she was trying her hardest to not explode in anger. "Alright chick, what's going on? I can tell you've got somethin' on your mind. Tell me before I explode."

Sadayo chuckled but really said nothing further, waging an internal battle. After she thought for a minute, she decided to tell her friend what was on her mind. "Sesshoumaru and I were talking and I asked him a question, but he didn't exactly give me the answer I was looking for."

Sango scoffed with a laugh. "Sesshoumaru was never one to answer a question directly. He does it when he feels like it, and that's usually when he wants an answer." Sango looked at Sadayo again. There was clearly something more to the issue than Sadayo was letting on. She put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "That's not the only problem here, is it?"

She looked over at Sango. "Is it that obvious?"

Sango shrugged. "A little. Are you going to tell me or not?"

A huge sigh escaped her lips. "Well, now…Don't laugh at me Sango, but…It's just that…I think I might…have feelings…for…" She looked away in embarrassment.

Sango moved in closer and moved around to the chair next to her and then her eyes widened. "Oh, Kami! Are you telling me that you are starting to have feelings for Sesshoumaru?"

Sadayo's eyes shot open and tried to shush Sango. "Please, keep your voice down! You know how he has those good ears."

"You _are_ starting to have feelings for him, aren't you?" Sango asked with amazement.

Sadayo shrugged sheepishly as a light pink hue displayed on her cheeks. "I don't know but I am beginning to find him strangely attractive. I can't explain it. It's weird, but please don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Her eyes pleaded with her not to divulge her secret.

Sango gently laughed and then sighed when she caught the look on her friends' face. Apparently, it would seem that the two of these people were going to have some trouble. She just hoped that they would tell each other how they felt before it was too late. "Alright, Sada. But you better say something before someone else comes along and it's too late."

Sadayo sighed. "Sango, how in the world can I tell him how I feel if I know he does not even feel the same way about me? As far as I know, every time he looks at me its like I disgust him or something, but I guess I shouldn't care then, right? I'm not even sure how I feel about him. Well…oh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

Sadayo got up from the table and went over to join Shippo and Yuko and her mother with glasses of champagne and conversation. Looking over at her friend, she sighed. _Sadayo, I hope you and Sesshoumaru don't beat around the bush and get together soon and soon enough._ She ran her hand through her hair and sighed once more, thinking about the situation her friend was in.

"Hey Sango, what's got you down?" Kagome and Ayame asked, coming to sit down on either side of her.

"Oh, nothing," Sango replied, trying to smile to hide what Sadayo had just divulged to her.

Ayame looked at her critically and caught a whiff of a particular scent. "I smell arousal coming from two separate areas." She took a deeper sniff. "But I smell anger with it…and its coming from both Sadayo and Sesshoumaru."

Kagome hit Ayame on the shoulder. "Keep your voice down. Sadayo doesn't know that you are a demon along with some of the people in this room. Plus, I don't want Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha hearing this either." She turned her head to Sango. "Now what is really wrong with her?"

Sango sighed. "She asked me not to tell anyone, but let's just say that we are going to have to give these two a little help. If they do this on their own, a thousand years will pass and they wouldn't have gotten past square one."

The three women nodded.

Sadayo looked at her sister. "So how did you two meet?" she asked while swirling her glass.

"We work together at the police station," Shippo said. "She was carrying too many things and she dropped most of them on the floor. I helped her out and then it kinda went forward from there."

"Well, isn't that romantic," Sadayo said taking a long sip of champagne. "Aren't you such a gentleman?" Shippo responded with a sheepish shrug and that earned him a kiss on the cheek from Yuko.

Her mother looked over at her eldest child. "Sada, how much have you had to drink tonight?" Tamiko asked with a hint of worry in her voice. She caught what happened over at the bar as well.

"Mother, you know I don't drink that much anyway," Sadayo said after she swallowed half her glass.

Her eyes took on a worried gaze. "Well, I think it is about time that you put away your champagne."

Sadayo looked over at her mother and downed the other half of her glass. "I put it away. There, are you happy?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Her mother practically snarled at her. "Smart aleck," she said. She noticed her daughter's demeanor had changed after she came back into the room from being outside with Sesshoumaru. Unknown to the both of them, InuTaisho and Tamiko had watched and heard the encounter between the two and she knew that Sesshoumaru had not said what Sadayo wanted to hear. But Tamiko had never seen her daughter drink like that before and unfortunately had not even seen her drink so much even when she and Takahari were having troubles and were divorcing. She shook her head and wondered how on earth did her daughter's life become so complicated.

Naraku stood off at the other end of the bar, keeping his distance from the three dog demons in the room. He swirled his martini glass and casually took a sip as he stared at the raven-haired beauty that stood with her family.

_Patience, Naraku,_ he chastised himself._ This is just a minor setback. It will all be worth it once you have her. Just be smart. They all will fall sooner or later, but they all will definitely fall, and it will be at my hand._

_**(Keeps stirring at the pot) Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble…:sheepish smile: Oh, you're back. Well, I've thickened this a little further. You gotta stay tuned to find out what's next! **_

_**ATaiyoukai'sTenshi **_


	7. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Disclaimer: Same as always. Don't own, but would like to.

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Opening the door to their hotel room, Yuko, Sadayo and Tamiko came into the bridal suite and hung up all of their dresses for the next day. The bellboy followed behind them and brought in all of their luggage and set it down.

"Thank you, for all of your help." Sadayo said gratefully.

"No problem, ma'am," he said, brushing it off.

"Well, take this before you go." Taking her purse from one of the beds, she opened her wallet and gave him a twenty-dollar tip. With a wide smile, the young man bowed and left the suite, closing the door behind him.

Yuko sat down with a sigh, and then flopped over on her stomach, snatching the remote from the nightstand and turning on the television.

Sadayo looked at the clock which read 10:30 pm. "Well Yuko, this time tomorrow night you will be in Hawaii, and married to a very handsome man."

A smile crossed Yuko's face. _He's not just a man, he's a kitsune youkai._ For discretionary reasons, she kept that part silent. Her mother nor sister knew of Shippo's true identity. "I know, right? I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow."

"It took you long enough," Tamiko said.

"Mother, I am only twenty-six," Yuko said with a hint of annoyance. "Jeez, you make me sound like I am forty."

"Hey, I am the one that is closer to forty than you are," Sadayo said. "I'm in my thirties."

She turned to her eldest child. "You need to hurry up and remarry too, before your eggs dry up," Tamiko joked.

"Mother!" Sadayo said, blowing her bangs off of her face in exasperation. "Thanks a lot for making me feel better about my life, just because I'm not dating, married, or a mother." _Infuriating woman._ "Damn it, I need a drink." Walking around the room she found a complimentary bottle of champagne in the refrigerator. "Hey, let's crack this open."

Yuko slid off the bed. "Give me a glass too. I think I'm gonna need it." She winked at her sister.

Tamiko pressed her hand over her heart. "My two girls drinking. All I want is grandchildren. I'm 800 years old and most of the women the same age as me have grandchildren and two generations of children after that."

"Come on Mom," Sadayo said, handing the bottle Yuko. "We know you're not really 800 years old and you're just being dramatic. Sorry our lives didn't turn out the way _you_ wanted them to."

"I don't mean it like that, girls. I love you both and I just want to see you happy," Tamiko said with her head down.

Yuko sighed. "We know Mom." She poured herself a glass of champagne and took a sip. She poured another glass for her mom since Sadayo already had one. "Here." With a wistful smile she took the glass from her daughter.

Sadayo sat down on the other bed and raised her glass in front of them. "Anyway, here's to Yuko and Shippo tomorrow and forever!"

"And to Sada catching the bouquet," Tamiko joked again.

Sadayo looked at her mother and blew a raspberry with a smirk. "Oh, please. I don't want to catch that thing. All the weddings I have been to, all of the women that fight and claw at each other to catch a bunch of flowers based on a silly old superstition? No thank you."

Yuko smiled and took a sip from her glass. "Careful, Sada. Now that you have said it, watch you probably will catch it tomorrow."

Sadayo snickered over her own glass. "Yeah right." Taking another sip, she put it down on the windowsill. Taking the pillow from the bed she threw it at her and said item landed right on the side of her head. With a squeal, Yuko threw it right back and then hit Sadayo with it.

"All right you two, stop it," Tamiko said.

Sadayo launched herself at the other pillow and aimed for Yuko, but her aim was off and it accidentally hit her mother dead in the face. Both of the women stopped, mouths agape as they looked at their mother, waiting for her reaction.

Tamiko calmly stood up. "Now you are asking for it." Using her quick reflexes, she snatched and threw two pillows in a whirlwind spin, and one of them landing at Sadayo and the other one on Yuko. Squealing, all three of the women engaged in a pillow fight.

Finally, all three of them were exhausted and all of their hair had been in disarray. Laughing at their appearances, they all fell onto the bed trying to fix each other's hair. Getting up, Sadayo went to her suitcase and got her pajamas and then went into the bathroom to change.

Around 3:00 in the morning, Sadayo woke up to find that she was laying next to her mother and Yuko was on the other side. _How picture perfect this is,_ she thought with a smile and turned right back over and went back to sleep.

"Are you ready, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked.

"More than ready," the fox youkai answered, without a hint of hesitation. Shippo stood in the mirror of their hotel room and tied his tie onto his shirt.

Inuyasha scoffed with a smile. "You sound more sure than I did at my mating ceremony," Inuyasha answered, tying his own tie.

"Easy, Inuyasha. I love her," came the answer as he picked up his jacket and put it on.

A sigh came from Inuyasha. "Well, I love your mother too."

Shippo looked over at his father figure. "I know you do. Believe me, I would have objected to it a long time ago."

He sighed for a minute and thought about how close he came to losing Kagome. If it hadn't been for Kikyo turning him down, he wouldn't have neither one of them. The promise he had made to her was the main reason he still went back to her. Finally, she was the one who released him from his debt, and he had never felt so free. Mentally shaking his head he picked up his jacket from the end of the bed.

"Alright let's get outta here before we start getting all mushy and crap," Inuyasha said, putting on his own jacket and the two leaving the room. Shippo shook his head with a smile and walked out with his father.

"Anyone know what time it is?"

Sadayo picked up her cell phone out of her purse, looking at the front display. "It's 1:15."

Yuko sighed. "Well, we've got 15 minutes until we get this show on the road."

May tenth had finally made its appearance after what seemed like forever. "Yuko, you look so beautiful," Sadayo gushed as she helped her sister zip up her wedding gown. "You look better than I did."

"She looks much better than me," spoke up their mother. Tamiko was wearing a silver two-piece dress with an off the shoulder, three-quarter sleeve top and a matching skirt with a small train. Her hair was pulled back from her face into a bun. Sadayo wore a strapless satin floor-length gown in a cerulean color. A rhinestone brooch was on the right side of the gown that gave the illusion that it was pulling the fabric into it. Her hair was curled in spirals all over and pulled into a low ponytail with a rhinestone barrette holding it.

"Well, the bride is supposed to be the best-looking one anyway," Yuko spoke up, with a smile on her face. "You both look beautiful anyway." She took a look at the window and smiled at a clear, blue sky. "I'm glad it's nice out, too seeing how the ceremony is going to be outside."

For the past couple of days it had rained enough to soak the earth considerably. The day before at the rehearsal dinner the sky was still cloudy, but luckily it had not rained. Yuko practically worried about the upcoming weather report. Finally, the weather had cleared up to reveal a warm, fresh spring day. Looking outside from their hotel room, there was not a cloud in the sky. She adjusted her veil as she looked at herself in the mirror, giving another smile of approval. Sadayo smiled warmly and a sniff was heard. The two of them turned their head to look at the tears that were spilling from their mother's eyes and she was fumbling in her purse for some tissues.

"Mom, don't cry," Yuko said. "You'll make me cry, and we don't have the time to get our makeup redone."

Sadayo raised an eyebrow at her sister in astonishment. "You? Cry? You broke your leg when you were 12 when you fell out of the tree in the backyard and you didn't make a sound. I've never seen you cry."

Yuko shrugged. "Well, I just might cry since today is my wedding day."

"Well, I'll keep tissues under my bouquet just in case you do," Sadayo said with a grin. A genuine smile came over her as she looked at her sister. Her strapless white gown made her look like a princess as the top of it was embroidered with tiny crystals and the same along the hem of the ball gown skirt. A set of silver bangle bracelets decorated her left wrist. Her dark brown and blonde hair was parted to the side and one thick strand of hair that rested on the side of her face, touching down to her collarbone and the rest of her hair sat in a neat inverted bun on her head with her tiara. A genuine smile graced her features as she gave herself another approving glance in the full-length mirror.

"Crap," Sadayo said warmly, as she began to feel the liquid pooling around her eyes. "I hope I don't turn into a blubbering mess. I think I'm going to cry now."

Yuko shook her head at her mother and her sister. "You two are hopeless," she replied with a smile. "But that's why I love you guys anyway."

"We love you too," her mother and sister said simultaneously. All three of the women fell into a hug.

"Yuko, sit down so we can put your shoes on," Sadayo said as she pulled up a chair for her sister. Grabbing her sister's shoes, Sadayo squatted down in front of her so that she could put her sister's white satin open-toed heels on.

"Is your garter on your left leg?" Tamiko asked.

"Yes, Mom," Yuko said. "I put it on before I put the dress on." She pulled the skirt up to affirm her statement. "See?"

After a minute, Sadayo stood back up. "Do they feel okay?"

Yuko stood up and walked a little. "Yup, they feel fine."

Tamiko looked over to the clock that they finally noticed on the wall. "It's 1:25, honey."

Yuko smiled in satisfaction. "Great. Let's go."

As far as the bridal party was concerned, Shippo and Yuko decided that they would only have a maid of honor and a best man. Large amounts of people just meant more drama and issues, and Yuko wasn't one to tolerate such. To be honest, she didn't just handle it very well and for the sake of the day going much more smoothly, the two would suffice. Her maid of honor was Sadayo, of course, and Shippo's best man was Inuyasha.

The three women filed out of the room, Sadayo holding the train of her sister's dress and her own bouquet. Once they made their way out, the three found Kagome standing outside of the garden doors, waiting for her cue.

"Hey, Kagome," Sadayo said cheerfully.

Kagome turned around to her friend's voice and smiled. It was ironic that Kagome had to wear a "mother-of-the-groom" dress, seeing how she wasn't even the appropriate "age" for her to wear it. The idea seemed and sounded very out of place. She wore a silver suit as well that resembled Tamiko's, but it covered her shoulders more and since she was carrying, it accommodated the growing bulge, which seemed to be growing bigger by the day. Her hair was pulled into a curly low ponytail, and silver eye shadow decorated her eyes.

"Hey, yourself," she said warmly. "All of you look absolutely beautiful."

Yuko responded with a timid smile and an equally timid bow. "Thank you Kagome," she said. "You look nice as well."

Kagome looked at Yuko with a warm smile and gave her a big bear hug. "Congratulations Yuko," she said. "You are the perfect match for my son…just do me one favor."

"What's that?"

"Stop being so nervous around me," she said with a grin. "I don't bite."

Yuko smiled as Kagome enveloped her in another big hug. The only thing separating them was the big mahogany doors and around them, soft music began to play, signaling everyone that it was time to begin the ceremony.

Tamiko hugged her daughter carefully, careful not to smudge either of their makeup or outfits. "I love you baby," she said.

"I love you too, Mother," Yuko said. With a final look at her youngest daughter and a wink to her oldest, she took her place next to Kagome. Sadayo gently moved her sister away from the view of everyone just as the hotel coordinator opened the doors. On cue, Tamiko and Kagome walked outside to the garden area in time to the music, side by side.

With a smile, Sadayo turned to her sister. "This is it, Yuko. Are you ready?" Sadayo asked, with her eyes shining.

"I've never been more ready in my life," Yuko responded without hesitation. "I love him so much."

"I know, I can tell," she said. "I know he loves you too." _He had better not treat you like Takahari treated me or I'll kill him with my bare hands and I wouldn't care if I went to jail for it. Come on Sada, it's supposed to be a happy occasion, be nice,_ she scolded herself. Placing her bouquet on the table next to her, she took the blusher and gently placed it over her sister's face. "Bye, Atami Yuko."

"Hello Yamada Yuko," she said. The two sisters shared one final hug as Sadayo took her place in front of her sister. Turning back around for a quick wink, she faced forward, plastering a bright smile to her face. She walked in time to the music and rounded the doors into the ceremony site. As Sadayo walked with her bouquet in hand, she couldn't help but notice the grins that sat on Shippo's and Inuyasha's faces. They were trying to make her laugh so that she would lose her concentration and composure.

She noticed InuTaisho and Sesshoumaru sitting on the other side and if she wasn't so focused on making her way down the aisle, she could have sworn she had seen Sesshoumaru's eyes practically fall out of his head. Keeping a bright smile plastered to her lips, she stayed in the aisle as the sunshine and many flashes blinded her face as the photographers moved all around the area, and the guests with their own cameras did the same. She faltered for a second, but she continued to walk at the correct pace with her blue and white rose bouquet clenched at her abdomen. Finally, after the long walk she stepped up to the altar where the priest and Inuyasha and Shippo stood. As everyone kept their eyes on the doors, Sadayo turned and made a face at the two of them, earning a chuckle.

All heads turned around to the closed doors when the music changed to the traditional tune. Once the doors opened again, everyone rose to their feet as the beautiful bride made her way to her mate-to-be slowly but in time to the music. Most people were looking at the bride, but Sesshoumaru was looking at the maid-of-honor. Something inside of him would not let him look away from her. Her hair cascaded around her slender shoulders and her gown hugged her frame perfectly. The makeup she wore was light, but the eyeshadow intensified her almond eyes and the lipstick pouted her lips slightly. Finally tearing his gaze from her, he turned his attention back down to her sister.

In respect to her father and as Sadayo had done at her own wedding, Yuko walked the journey to the altar alone and pulled a rose from her bouquet and laid it on the empty chair next to Tamiko. A couple of moments later, Sadayo looked down at her mother and saw the tears flowing freely from her eyes. With a smile and a shake of her head, she accepted her sister's bouquet as she put her hands in Shippo's. A grin sat on both of their faces.

In the middle of her vows and true to her word, Yuko choked up and her eyes began to brim with tears. Sadayo tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a couple of tissues from under her bouquets. With a grateful smile to her sister, she gently dabbed at the corners of her eyes and continued. With a big and rather long kiss, Yuko and Shippo were presented as husband and wife.

Accompanied by thunderous applause, the newly married couple made their way back into the hall. Inuyasha held his arm out to Sadayo and the two of them made their way back up the aisle. Sesshoumaru quietly growled as he saw Inuyasha holding onto Sadayo. Even though it was only a wedding recessional, it did not change the fact that he didn't like it. InuTaisho's sensitive hearing tipped him off to his eldest son's behavior and the slight anger in his aura caused him to nudge him in the stomach. Sesshoumaru ignored his father and looked in the other direction.

The wedding party moved to another section of the garden and took their pictures as the guests moved back into the ballroom for the reception. After all of the picture taking, Sadayo and Inuyasha moved toward the ballroom and stood outside the doors, waiting for the newlyweds.

"Well, my sister is married to your son," Sadayo began. "What does that make us?"

Inuyasha stood for a minute in thought. "It makes us family in some weird way, I guess." _Even though I know you will be my sister-in-law pretty soon._ Finally, Yuko and Shippo came through the doors with a big kiss as the photographer darted around them for the picture.

"Ugh," Inuyasha said with a disgusted look on his face. "Can't you two do that somewhere else?"

Sadayo hit Inuyasha in the stomach with the back of her hand, hard. "I know about you and Kagome, so don't you start that," she whispered. Inuyasha gave her a husky growl in a teasing way. Now it was Sadayo's turn to make a disgusting face and Inuyasha smirked at her.

Finally, the wedding party entered the room for the reception and everyone enjoyed themselves. The groom twirled his new wife and then brought her close for their first dance. After dinner, Sadayo stood up to go speak with Sango who was standing not too far off.

With a chuckle, she pointed and they both looked at Shippo as an impish grin sat on his face while his hungry hands dove under Yuko's gown for the lace garter. Catcalls went up from among the male guests as he pretended to fumble for it, still with the sly grin on his face. A few moments later, he pulled said item from underneath her gown and stood up as a bunch of men got onto the floor.

Sesshoumaru reluctantly went up with some prodding from his father, of course. _The things I do for this old man,_ he thought to himself. Running to get a glass of wine, Sadayo didn't see who had caught it. All she heard was a groan come from some of the men. Sadayo was sitting at the bridal party table next to Inuyasha when she heard, "will all single women please step out onto the floor. It's time for the bouquet toss!"

With an anguished groan, she didn't make any motions to move until Inuyasha practically shoved her out of her chair and losing her balance she fell onto the floor. With an angry growl, she glared daggers at him. He motioned for her to get up. "Come on Sada," he said with a mischievous grin. "You just might catch it."

Reluctantly, she stood up and dusted herself off and went to stand in the back of all the hungry women. To be honest, that whole scene looked like a bunch of lionesses scrapping over a piece of meat and it looked quite amusing which earned a chuckle from her. They were all pushing each other in an attempt to grab the bouquet, and as of yet, Yuko hadn't even thrown it yet.

At the count of three from the hotel coordinator, Yuko let the bouquet fly through the air. Sadayo, not paying attention was looking elsewhere until she noticed something coming straight at her out of the corner of her eye. With a snap, her hands outstretched before her mind had even registered that she had caught the very thing she was trying to avoid. Her head looked up in shock as she held the bouquet in her hands. Looking over to Inuyasha, she glared angrily at him again while mouthing, 'I am so gonna get you for this.' He responded with a mischievous grin of his own.

Sadayo didn't really notice some of the nasty looks she was getting from the women that didn't catch it. From what she could tell from her hearing was murmuring from them. They were muttering things like "lucky wench," and "it should have been me."

Walking through the crowd, she looked at her sister who was smiling at her and gestured for her to sit in the exact same chair that she sat in a few minutes ago. She motioned her sister over and gestured for her to lean over.

"Yuko, did you see who caught the garter?"

Yuko shrugged. "I didn't see it so I don't know. But see? I told you since you said it, you would catch the bouquet." With a shrug of her own Sadayo turned her head back around as she faced someone she felt approaching her.

Sesshoumaru was the one stalking towards her, as if she were prey of some sort, with the white satin-lace garter hanging from one of his long, slender fingers. Letting one of his rare smirks show on his handsome face, he gracefully sank to one knee in front of her as he lifted her left foot and slid the garter slowly and sensually up her calf, past the graceful curve of her knee and then stopping at her mid-thigh. _Damn, she has some of the smoothest skin I have ever felt in my life_, Sesshoumaru thought. Sadayo's eyes widened as she practically wanted her eyes to roll in the back of her head. It was as if his touch was setting her on fire. His fingers were so smooth and gentle but were also sensual as if he were sending her a direct message.

Catcalls and whistles erupted from the guests as they caught the sultry look on Sesshoumaru's face.A shocked look caught her face as he stood back up and extended his hand for her to stand up from the chair. She took it as she glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Shippo Yuko, and Inuyasha cracking up laughing. In addition to that, she saw Koga, Ayame and Sango all laughing at her shocked expression as well. A pink hue seeped through her cheeks as the photographer stood in front of them and held up the camera. Brining her into a possessive hold around her waist, she forced a smile and his face remained emotionless as the flash went off.

Whistles went off from both sides as Yuko and Shippo went into a dance out onto the floor. After watching the two of them for a minute and a few other couples joined them out on the floor, Sesshoumaru leaned down to her ear.

"Would you care to dance with me?" he asked, lips practically skimming the outer rim of her ear. Looking up at him, she gave a smile as she set the bouquet down on the table. "Sure," she replied. The two of them walked onto the shiny wooden floor along with a few other couples and Sesshoumaru took the lead into a slow graceful song, the possessive hold around her waist again.

The music soon after changing to a more upbeat, club-like tune, as Sean Paul's "Get Busy" blasted through the loudspeakers, the lights dimmed and alternated changing colors to red and blue and the like. Unknown to the both of them, as the tempo increased, so did their dancing and they grew even closer together, as if there were some sort of magnetic force pulling at them. Sort of off to the side from the other people, Sesshoumaru began to smell a slight arousal emerging from the both of them due to being so close to her and his inner demon was clawing and battling at his confines, begging to be released. His beast wanted to taker her here and now. _No_, he thought clenching one of his fists, _I cannot lose my control in front of her. She does not fully understand me yet…She is so addictive and I can feel her body calling to mine. Damn it, I should put a stop to this…and I can't._ He willed his member to remain in its current state, but it was absolutely grueling.

Just as Sesshoumaru was having a hard time, Sadayo was having just as much of a hard time controlling herself. Her arousal was beginning to make itself known also. _Damn it, I should put a stop to this…but I can't. He's so…addictive._ The companies of guests at the wedding were mixed, human and concealed demon alike, which was unknown to most of the guests but with the way the music was going, practically everyone was brought to grinding on their partners. Sadayo's hand was around Sesshoumaru's neck and Sesshoumaru's hand was around Sadayo's waist, with the two of them moving together as if they were going to just have sex right on the dance floor in front of everyone. Done in by the song, Sadayo turned around and continued to sway her hips to the beat as Sesshoumaru brought her closer against his body. After a moment Sesshoumaru happened to look over and found that Sadayo's ears were again changing to a delicate point. Needless to say as the song wound down, the two of them were absolutely flushed, Sadayo's face red and breathing heavily. When he looked at her again, the point in her ears had disappeared. With wistful smiles, the two parted ways. _Oh my damn, _Sesshoumaru thought. _I cannot believe we just did that._ Little did he know, Sadayo was talking with her sister but was thinking the exact same thing.

_**Please review or no update for you! Mwahahahahahahahahaha!!! No but seriously, reviews are very appreciated!!!**_


	8. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_**This is a very short chapter because I didn't want to cut into what will happen soon. Enjoy!!**_

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but they are fun to play with. Mmmwwaahahahahhaaa!!!

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Off in a corner, Tamiko and InuTaisho were in a corner talking when they happened to notice the behavior of their eldest children.

"Did you see that?" InuTaisho said, referring to Sadayo's ears. The way the two of them were dancing didn't bother them but the fact that demonic characteristics were making themselves known and she had no idea. Tamiko looked over and nodded, her eyes widening, with her hand clasped over her mouth. Sensing the nervousness in Tamiko's aura, he gently took her by the elbow and led her outside of the room.

"What is wrong Tamiko?" he asked. "I can sense your nervousness about something."

Ashamed, she turned her head away from his gaze. "I never told her," she said quietly. His keen hearing picked up what she told him.

He nodded towards her statement. "I know she does not know."

Her eyes widened. "You knew?" She scoffed at her own words. "That would make sense then. I guess you can tell of those who are youkai."

"Yes, I can but in addition to that, there have been times where her concealment spell had begun to slip and we have seen some of her demonic characteristics, and it basically starts at her ears. Also, she has growled a few times, not including tonight either." He gave her a very serious gaze. Tamiko, I would advise you that you need to tell her soon before something happens."

Tamiko began wringing her hands nervously. "I'm afraid to tell her. I've kept this secret from her for so long because I was afraid of what people would think. Her sister doesn't even know that my first mate was youkai. Yuko is human."

"Yuko already knows that Shippo is a demon and it does not bother her, so it would be safe to make the assumption that she will understand what she does not know." InuTaisho placed his hand on her shoulder. "Would you like me to tell Sadayo for you?"

She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would. I've kept this from her for so long I really would have no idea of what to say."

Toshihiro nodded. "I will tell her some things, but the majority of it needs to come from you. You are her mother after all."

Tamiko nodded also. "I will tell her but I will tell her after you have given the basis of what she needs to know."

A determined look crossed the rugged features of the elder demon. "Monday, after we get back to work, Sadayo will be aware of what she truly is."

A frustrated sigh escaped her. "I hope she can handle it all," Tamiko said under her breath. _Sada, please forgive me for not telling you about who you really are. You are in for a really big surprise._ "She will probably be mad at me," Tamiko continued. "I never meant to hurt her by not telling her. I thought I was protecting her."

InuTaisho put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand, but I must ask, why have you taken this long to disclose this information?"

"I was afraid to tell her when she was a child," she said, looking away from him. "Once she began to grow up she looked human until one day her principal called me. In elementary school she had scratched a child and left claw marks on his wrist." She smiled to herself at the memory. "Her father would have been so proud of her, she was pretty ruthless, especially when it came to protecting her friends and loved ones."

A smirk crossed his rugged but handsome features. "I had a feeling."

She nodded. "The reason Sadayo is not a full demon is because I had already delivered her in my human form before I was changed into a demon."

Toshihiro then nodded also in understanding. "I do remember hearing some things about your former mate's death but what exactly happened?"

"You are in for a long story," she said.

It took Tamiko about fifteen minutes to explain the tale. Soon after the two of them went back into the room, they found that Shippo and Yuko had already cut their cake and Inuyasha walked up to the both of them with two slices. "I asked them to cut these for you two." The two took their pieces of cake from Inuyasha and he left them to talk, heading back over to Kagome.

"Hey, Kagome," he said. "How are your feet holding up in those shoes?"

Kagome smiled wistfully, rubbing her feet. "They held up for the majority of the day all things considering. I'm so gonna feel this in my ankles tomorrow." She gave her ankles a closer inspection. "Oh, crap. My ankles are already starting to swell up."

"I'll massage them when we get home," he whispered in her left ear with a twinkle in his eye. Kagome saw it and knew exactly what that meant.

"Oh, come on Inuyasha," she said with a groan. "I'm so tired. Can it wait until tomorrow or something? I am carrying your child, you know."

"Exactly, that's why you are so irresistible," he said with a grin.

"Hentai," she said with a grin of her own, playfully slapping him in the abdomen.

Not long after that, everyone had left the hall except for the new couple, Sadayo, Tamiko, InuTaisho, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I did get your clothes by the way," Sadayo said. "They're in my car so whenever you feel like it, you come over and get them."

"Arigato, big sis," Yuko said. "Well," she began, "I guess we had better get going."

With a contented smile, Sadayo wrapped her arms around her younger sister and hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy for you," she said. "Have fun on your two-week honeymoon."

Yuko smiled back at her sister. "I will," she said.

"Behave yourself," Sadayo whispered with a teasing grin.

Yuko's eyes narrowed sneakily with a grin of her own. "Can't promise you that."

"You always were the nasty one between us," she answered, with a laugh between the two of them.

Hugs all around and arrangements made for gifts, the group filed out of the reception hall, everyone watching as the newly married couple piled into their limousine and pulled away with a "just married" sign on the back. The sun was setting over the horizon and a warming glow descended upon the group. Tamiko hugged her eldest daughter fiercely and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Now it's your turn," she said with a teasing tone. "I do want grandchildren you know."

Sadayo rolled her eyes. "I know Mom," she said, wistfully. After all, she did sort of want to have children herself. "I'll see you later." Tamiko watched her eldest daughter leave and sighed.

After seeing that Sadayo began walking to her own car, Sesshoumaru wanted to call her back to him but something held him back. With a groan, he watched her get into her car and drive away, mentally cursing himself. He still didn't tell her how he felt about her like he planned.

Sesshoumaru didn't turn around because he could feel his brother's eyes boring a hole in the back of his head anyway. Inuyasha knew this and he shook his head in his brother's direction. Sesshoumaru got into his own car and leaned his head back onto the headrest in frustration.

As she drove, she looked over to her unoccupied passenger seat and noticed that she had her bouquet and her sister's and with a sigh she dismissed the superstition. _Like I'm really going to get married again…even though I do want children. Well, whoever he may be, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, I'll kill you._ She chuckled to herself. _Jeez, I'm so violent._

When Sadayo got back home, she set her alarm as soon as she walked in the door. Pulling two vases from her cabinets, she partially filled them with sugar water and set each bouquet in its own vase and looked at them. _I caught the very thing I was trying to avoid. How the hell did this happen?_ She shook her head at the irony of the situation, and her sister had been right.

"Well, I guess I could have both of them preserved or something," she said aloud. After that, she stripped completely down to nothing and walked in the shower after placing her dress back in its plastic covering in the closet.

Taking a long shower, she eased away some of the tension of the day, especially after practically grinding herself on Sesshoumaru, and he was her boss, no less. But she could feel him getting pretty excited as well, so she didn't feel as bad, but there was some sort of guilt that crept up on her. Coming out of the steaming bathroom in a cloud of vapor, she wrapped her fluffy blue towel around her when the phone rang in her bedroom, trying to pick it up before she lost the call.

"Hello?" she answered, picking up the kitchen extension.

"You look good in that towel, sexy lady," answered an anonymous voice. "I like wet women." Without another word, a click was heard on the other end and she slammed the phone down in pure anger. Checking the caller ID, she found that the number was unidentified. She stopped for a moment and then put two and two together. Picking up her cell phone out of the purse, she dialed InuTaisho.

"Yes, Sadayo?" he answered.

"Toshihro, I think someone is watching me," she said without a hint of hesitation and a shake in her voice. She walked into her room and attached the blue tooth to her ear, drying off and dressing.

"How would you know this?" he asked.

"Someone just called me because I came out from the shower in nothing but a towel and told me that I looked good in it," she responded. "This is not the first time this has happened."

"What of the number?" he queried. "Did you check your caller ID?"

"Yes, I did, but the number was unidentified. I usually don't answer those calls but I picked it up without thinking."

InuTaisho fell silent. "I will handle this on Monday morning when we return to the firm. In the meantime, keep all of your windows locked and curtains closed. I am on my way to your apartment now. "

"Okay," she said.

With that, they hung up. Not more than ten minutes later, her doorbell rang. _I'm glad I didn't waste any time getting dressed_, she thought. Looking out of the peephole, she saw a black-haired man standing outside of her door with piercing gold eyes.

She disarmed the alarm and then opened the door. "Come in, Toshihiro," she said.

"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I just think there has to be something in here that is helping this guy watch me. The thought never occurred to me before, until now of course."

He sniffed around her apartment. The only scent he uncovered was Sadayo's. A disappointed grunt escaped him. Without another sound, InuTaisho checked all the vents in the apartment. When he came back to the one that was in the hallway, his sharp vision caught the end of a red flash.

"Do you have a stepstool?" he asked, the high ceiling slightly out of his reach. "Also, if you have it, then I would need a pair of gloves."

She shook her head and gave him a chair from the island. Walking into the bathroom there were a pair of disposable gloves that she kept in order to clean. Stepping onto that and pulling the gloves on his fingers, he pulled the metal cover off and in his grasp was a small camera. It was so small she would have never seen it.

"This is how he has been able to watch you," he said. "Would you happen to also have a zipper plastic bag?"

"I think so," came the response. Searching in her drawers, she found what she was looking for and handed it to her boss.

Running the zipper along the bag, he held it up. "I will hold onto this."

"Thank you," Sadayo said gratefully. "I hope this will put a stop to it. It was creepin' me out."

InuTaisho gave a nod in her direction. "I hope this will put a stop to it as well. I shall take my leave now."

"Thank you again," she answered, giving him a deep bow in response.

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, child." With that, he opened the door and left, hearing Sadayo lock the door behind him.

A million thoughts were running through her head. _How did this happen? I'm usually an observant person and yet I missed that camera. My skills are slipping…But how did anyone get in here when I have an alarm system that hasn't faltered since I've been here? _

A grunt of aggravation was heard as the person who was watching Sadayo saw InuTaisho remove his camera. All he could stare at was a screen of snow. "Damn it!" he exclaimed out loud.

"What's the problem now?" another voice said, sounding annoyed.

"That meddling dog demon has removed the camera," the watcher exclaimed.

The other voice sneered. "Typical. Damn demon doesn't know when to quit. I made the mistake of not finishing his sons before."

"Don't worry," he replied, malice lacing each word, "you shall have your revenge on all of them and it won't be long."

"All I really wanted was the end of the Inuyoukai lineage and the Western Lands, but it would seem that Sadayo would make a good mate...she would damn sure make a good whore." Just the images of her nude body caused his own to spring to life. The watcher left the room after getting the look from his boss.

He wrapped his hand around his stiff length. "She will be forced into submitting to me once Sesshoumaru is out of the way." An evil smirk crossed his handsome features as his hand assaulted his aching member. "This is going to be so much fun." _I refuse to let these dogs stand in the way of what is mine. I may have been defeated years ago, but this time I will emerge at the top. The Atami will surrender to me._

_**Uh-oh! Who is it that is going to have so much fun! (Dramatic background music). You have to stay tuned to see what is going to happen! Don't forget to review while you're at it!! (Smile)**_


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